KU Chancellors Ernest Lindley Led the University for 19 Years, the Longest Tenure Among KU Chancellors

Contents Established in 1902 as The Graduate Magazine

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Mommy’s All Right, 28 Daddy’s All Right On a nationwide tour with kids in tow, indie band Mates of State balances sound checks and late-night shows with play dates and diaper runs and minivan meltdowns. It’s only rock ’n’ roll but they like it.

BY CAROL CRUPPER

Heirloom Harvest 34 The fruits of Liz Kurlbaum’s labors include tomatoes bursting with old-school flavor and a business her family can be proud of.

BY CYNTHIA PARKS COVER 20 Kansas on her Mind Meet KU’s new chancellor, Bernadette Gray-Little.

BY CHRIS LAZZARINO Cover photograph by Steve Puppe

Volume 107, No. 4, 2009 I was an “actor” in several Centron movies in the early 1950s. The biggest by Lift the Chorus far was “To the Stars,” produced for the Alumni Association. I had a featured role opposite Shirley Strain, c’53, who later married Tom Rea, c’49, g’52, a KU the- Debate champs ing children’s stories—with a col- atre professor. Fred Ellsworth, c’22, long- lection of rejection slips similar to time head of the Association, made a I enjoyed the article those Mirriam-Goldberg detailed. point after the film was released to tell about KU’s national After that reunion, our e-mails me how much the movie was enjoyed by championship debate flew thick and fast, and we had audiences at the many alumni chapters team [“Raise the Blue much fun writing and sharing around the country—even in New York. Banner,” issue No. 3]. Do with each other as we composed I would love to view the restored film you happen to know Three from Osage Street. Mirriam- to see how well I’ve held up compared to who were KU’s 1954 Goldberg got it right when she all the other KU relics in “To the Stars.” national championship said people do “their most power- Mark S. Gilman, d’54 debaters? ful writing in community.” Mission Hills John F. Elvig, e’55, g’59 Kay Z. Meyers, d’61 Editor’s note: When restoration is complete Round Top, Texas Wayne, Penn. this summer, “To The Stars” will be open to Editor’s note: The 1954 national champion Editor’s note: Three from Osage Street is public viewing as part of the Spencer debaters were William Arnold, c’55, and available at amazon.com or Research Library’s Kansas Collection. Hubert Bell, c’55, m’62. In 1955 Bell fol- authorhouse.com. lowed up the national title by topping 84 The stage is set other college debaters to win the coveted I always read the alumni magazine “Best Speaker Award.” with surprise and delight, although I As president-elect of KU Friends of must admit there is very little any more the Theatre, I’d like to thank Kansas Poetry power about grads from the ’30s and ’40s. They Alumni for “Stagecraft” [issue No. 2]. seem to be living longer, too! I’m a longtime theatre consumer, I was delighted with Caryn Mirriam- I was particularly interested in the attending dozens Goldberg’s opinion that “art should not article about Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg, of shows annually belong to a particular group, but should the new poet laureate of Kansas. in Topeka, on be right there at the grass roots,” in Several Kansas poets have entered the Broadway and at Steven Hill's “Poetry for the annual poetry contest of Virginia and KU. Great writing people,” [Rock Chalk have won awards in the category and strong acting Review, issue No. 2]. “Prairies,” which I have sponsored with make a show won- These words from the Williamsburg Poetry Guild. It would derful, but I also Kansas’ new poet be interesting to know of similar contests get excited by laureate seem fortu- in Kansas. imaginative stage- itous for Bret Waller, Thanks very much for keeping us all craft. g’58, Tom Lisenbee together and informed. Lighting and and me: We have just Philomene Bourassa Hood, c’39, g’45 sets can transport an audience to another published a book of Williamsburg, Va. place and time, and often the overall Goldberg prose sketches and Editor’s note: Mirriam-Goldberg will spon- look of a production is what I most poems, Three from sor a series of poetry contests next April. remember. It’s amazing how the right Osage Street, about growing up in Girard Check the Kansas Arts Commission’s poet costume can greatly enhance a character- in the 1940s and ’50s. laureate page next spring for more details: ization. The book originated when the three arts.ks.gov/poet_laureate/index.shtml. The KU team does a great job with of us discovered, at our 50th high-school stagecraft, and I know your article will reunion, that we were all writing poetry. Celluloid memories add more depth to the theatregoer’s Waller had retired as director of the experience. I also hope it will entice your Museum of Art in Indianapolis, Lisenbee Your article in the May Kansas Alumni readers to try our wonderful University had retired after a successful interna- about the Centron films set for restora- Theatre shows. tional career as a classical musician, and I tion [“For Posterity,” Rock Chalk Review, Larry Tenopir, d’72, g’78, l’82 had retired from teaching and was writ- issue No. 3] brought back memories. Topeka

2 | KANSAS ALUMNI JULY 2009

Publisher Kevin J. Corbett, c’88 Editor Jennifer Jackson Sanner, j’81 Creative Director Susan Younger, f’91 8 Associate Editors Chris Lazzarino, j’86 Steven Hill Staff Writer Katie Moyer, j’06 DEPARTMENTS Editorial Assistants Karen Goodell Erika Bentson, j’07 Photographer Steve Puppe, j’98 5 FIRST WORD The editor’s turn Graphic Designer Valerie Spicher, j’94 Advertising Sales Representative Whitney Eriksen, c’08, j’08 6 ON THE BOULEVARD KU & Alumni Association events Editorial and Advertising Office KU Alumni Association 1266 Oread Ave. 8 JAYHAWK WALK Lawrence, KS 66045-3169 Taylor Swift turns on, tunes in and drops by; 785-864-4760 • 800-584-2957 a parrot Rock Chalk chants; a lost banner returns. www.kualumni.org [email protected] 10 HILLTOPICS News and notes: Students pursue a new kind of

KANSAS ALUMNI MAGAZINE (ISSN 0745-3345) is published green and veterans find advocates on campus. by the KU Alumni Association six times a year in January, March, May, July, September and November. $55 annual subscription 16 SPORTS includes membership in the Alumni Association. Office of Could they be contenders? Football Jayhawks eye Publication: 1266 Oread Avenue, Lawrence, KS 66045-3169. Periodicals postage paid at Lawrence, KS. a Big 12 North title; softball gets a new coach.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Kansas Alumni ASSOCIATION NEWS Magazine, 1266 Oread Avenue, Lawrence, KS 66045- 38 3169 © 2009 by Kansas Alumni Magazine. Non-member Three honored with Ellsworth medallion; new issue price: $7 board members begin national service to KU.

42 CLASS NOTES Profiles of an Army general, a hot dog king, a neurosurgeon and more Your opinion 60 IN MEMORY counts! Deaths in the KU family

Kansas Alumni welcomes letters to ROCK CHALK REVIEW the editor. Our address is Kansas Alumni 64 Sociologist studies lure of possessions; “Tree magazine, 1266 Oread Avenue, Lawrence, of Life” blooms; books explore history, sport. KS 66045-3169. E-mail responses may be sent to the Alumni Association, [email protected]. Letters appear- 68 GLORIOUS TO VIEW ing in the magazine may be edited for Scene on campus space and clarity.

ISSUE 4, 2009 | 3

BY JENNIFER JACKSON SANNER First Word

Association in stunned reply Little more than two weeks earlier, the to the news. campus community gave a rousing An obituary for Frederick, ovation to welcome a new Jayhawk, JEFF JACOBSEN JEFF d’62, g’64, EdD’84, appears on Bernadette Gray-Little. On May 30, the page 63 of this issue. It briefly day after her selection as KU chancellor chronicles his career, including by the Kansas Board of Regents, the his years as athletics director Kansas Room on the Kansas Union’s from 1987 to 2001, but it sixth floor overflowed with elated well- cannot convey, nor can I, wishers eager to meet Gray-Little. Frederick’s enduring role in First to speak was Drue Jennings, the KU story. d’68, l’72, chair of the search committee, His was not a merely a pro- which began its work Feb. 2 and, after fession but a calling—to create mid-May interviews, forwarded the opportunities for young men names of three finalists to the Regents. and women and bring honor to He praised the committee’s dedication to the University. its formidable task. None of the 18 mem- KU volleyball coach Ray bers missed a meeting, he said, and Bechard, speaking at the despite differences and lively debate, memorial service on behalf of votes on every critical issue were his fellow coaches and athletics unanimous. department colleagues, put it Committee member Jeff Aubé, best. He described his former professor of medicinal chemistry, boss as “a servant” in the described Gray-Little’s interview with the noblest sense: a true leader, group. “She clearly articulated a very s nearly 2,000 somber Jayhawks teacher and friend. “Dr. Bob was ethical. compelling vision for higher education, arrived June 17 for the He was consistent. He was fair,” Bechard while not shrinking from the challenges memorial service honoring said. “He was always interested in the that we all face,” he said. “She impressed Bob Frederick, his wife, the success of the group or individual. us with her insight, her integrity and

Aindomitable Margey, beamed. Amid hugs Personal praise or acclaim STEVE PUPPE her humanity.” she said quietly, “He loved this place.” was very secondary. To the new Frederick’s deep loyalty to his alma “He was there to sup- chancellor, Aubé mater and its mission guided his career. port us. He desperately offered this Countless Jayhawks have returned the wanted us all to succeed, promise: “You affection—and their profound respect—for and he celebrated our vic- will find the the former longtime KU athletics direc- tories and applauded our entire KU tor, who died June 12 following a bicycle efforts. Great effort by stu- family to be accident the previous day. dent-athletes would get willing, enthusi- Before the memorial service, the Rev. him out of his seat and on astic, hard- Peter Luckey wisely counseled Freder- his feet.” working and ick’s family that their church, Plymouth Bechard then invited capable of doing Congregational, could not possibly all those gathered to get wonderful accommodate the mourners, some of out of their seats to honor things.” whom would travel great distances to Dr. Bob. They needed no After all, we attend the service. So the family chose a persuasion. The loud, are Jayhawks. campus site, the Lied Center. For several sustained applause, And, like Bob days, tributes and condolences appeared though unconventional Frederick, we in the press. Jayhawks sent a record for the occasion, made love this number of e-mails to the Alumni perfect sense. place.

ISSUE 4, 2009 | 5 On the Boulevard

SEPTEMBER 4-6 KU Spirit Reunion 18-20 Jolliffe Scholarship Hall Reunion 24-27 Class of 1959 Golden Anniversary Celebration 25-26 Family Weekend 26 Jayhawk Generations Breakfast, Adams Alumni Center 26 Band Day

■ Academic calendar

JULY 31 Summer classes end

AUGUST 20 Fall classes begin

■ Jayhawk Generations ■ KU Commencement No. 137 once again blossomed with Mount Oread’s usual flowering of light-hearted happiness: a Commencement chorus line, some serious love shown Big Jay, and Picnics gowned grads gathering at the Campanile. Tedde Tasheff, c’78, Alumni Association national chair, JULY welcomed the Class of 2009 to the ranks. 12 Leavenworth 12 Manhattan ■ Exhibitions ■ Lied Center Events 12 Paola “Friends & Neighbors,” Spencer 12 Pittsburg AUGUST Museum of Art, through Aug. 16 13 Atchison 21 Amanda Shaw “xy,” Spencer Museum of Art, through 13 Emporia Oct. 5 13 Topeka “A Greenland Glacier: The Scale of ■ Lectures 13 Dodge City Climate Change,” through fall 2009, 14 Garden City Spencer Museum of Art AUGUST 14 Great Bend 25 Lewis Hyde, Humanities Lecture 14 Hutchinson ■ University Theatre Series, Kansas Union 14 Fort Scott JULY 15 Colby ■ Special events 17-19, 24-26 “Almost, Maine,” 15 Lawrence written by John Cariani, directed by AUGUST 15 Kingman Boone J. Hopkins 17 Ice Cream Social, Adams 15 Salina Alumni Center 16 El Dorado

6 | KANSAS ALUMNI PHOTOGRAPHS BY STEVE PUPPE 16 McPherson 18 London: Jay- 16 Hays hawks Theatre Night 16 Wichita 18 New York City: Alumni evening at 19 Washington, D.C. the Metropolitan 25 Albuquerque Museum of Art 26 St. Louis 23 Denver: Mile 30 Houston High picnic 25 Indianapolis: AUGUST Summer family 1 Austin picnic 1 San 25 Philadelphia: Diego Alumni night 2 Dallas with the Phillies 23 Des Moines: Sand volleyball 2 Kansas 25 Phoenix: Alumni volunteer day tournament and family fun day City 30 Albuquerque: New Mexico Chapter alumni night with the Iso- 25 Chicago: Alumni night with the topes Cubs ■ Alumni events 30 Wichita: KU football rally 28 Charlotte: Alumni happy hour 29 JULY 31 Emporia: East Central Chapter Creedmoor: Central North KU football rally Carolina Chapter summer 12 Boston: Alumni night with the family picnic Brockton Rox 31 San Antonio: Beer tasting 18 Denver: Rafting trip SEPTEMBER AUGUST 18 Jacksonville: Alumni night with 12 Albuquerque: New Mexico 1 Denver: Day in the sun at Water the Suns Chapter bus trip to KU vs. UTEP World football game 1 New York City: Big 12 alumni night with the Staten Island Yankees 1 St. Petersburg: Alumni day with the For more information about Tampa Bay Rays Association events, call 2 Los Angeles: Wine tasting 800-584-2957 or visit the 4 Sacramento: Wine tasting 5 Reno: Summer family picnic Association’s Web site at 6 San Francisco: Alumni cruise www.kualumni.org. 6 Winfield: South Kansas Chapter alumni banquet 7 Portland: Beer tasting Lied Center ...... 864-ARTS 8 Seattle: Art museum tour University Theatre tickets ...... 864-3982 8 Joplin: Tri-State Chapter wine Spencer Museum of Art ...... 864-4710 tasting Natural History Museum ...... 864-4540 12 Boise: Summer family picnic Hall Center for Humanities ...... 864-4798 13 Phoenix: Big 12 happy hour Kansas Union ...... 864-4596 KU Info ...... 864-3506 14 Las Vegas: Summer family picnic Adams Alumni Center ...... 864-4760 15 Phoenix: Summer family picnic KU main number ...... 864-2700 21 Kansas City: KU football rally Athletics ...... 1-800-34-HAWKS 22 Denver: Alumni night with the Booth Hall of Athletics ...... 864-7050 Colorado Rockies Dole Institute of Politics ...... 864-4900

ISSUE 4, 2009 | 7 Jayhawk Walk

Polly wanna (be a) Jayhawk?

Even birds, it seems, are not immune to the lure of self-improvement. To wit: A video surfaced on YouTube recently of an African Gray Parrot that performs a passable ver- sion of the Rock Chalk Chant. Despite the best efforts of our crack investigative team, we haven’t tracked the back story of this tropical troubadour, who frankly looks a little drab next to our primary-hued mas- cot. While we admire his effort to emulate the Jayhawk, we think he’ll need to step up his game if he wants to join our tribe. Get yourself some yellow boots and master the Alma Mater, Polly, and maybe we’ll talk. Until then, don’t call us, birdy;

LARRY LEROY PEARSON LEROY LARRY we’ll call you.

’83, we hardly knew ye Alumni Association records specialist The first KU class banner appeared in Betty Otto, who for more than 30 years the 1907 Commencement ceremony, car- draped the banners around the Kansas STEVE PUPPE ried by alumni of the Class of 1900. The Union ballroom for the All-University Sup- notion immediately took hold, and within a per, says the ’83 banner never made it to year alumni fashioned retroactive banners University Archives after Commencement, for their own classes as far back as 1873. and she only knew it existed because our Outside of a handful of 19th-century late colleague B.J. O’Neal Pattee, c’46, classes, only four were missing: 1909, 1971, assured her that it had been carried in the 1982 and 1983. Until, that is, a mid-April walk down the Hill. Neither Pattee nor any- mail delivery brought home the Class of body else at the time recalled whether the 1983 banner, with an unsigned poem: Class of ’82 made a banner, and the fate of I have traveled the world / Since leaving the ’71 flag is equally uncertain. school in 83 / I have lived my life / With sor- If these ensigns do exist, their return row and glee / I have prospered and bene- would be a class act and banner news. fited / From my engineering degree / I think it “I never thought we’d see it,” says our time I return to campus / This symbol of the beloved Miss Betty, who wept tears of joy graduating class / To fly high in the rafters so when she unfurled the purloined pennant. / Prominent and Free. Thanks for the ride. “I am thrilled beyond words.”

Otto

8 | KANSAS ALUMNI mental Advisory Board to pay a Florida company called ReRev about $15,000 to adapt 15 elliptical trainers to generate

electricity that will help power the building. CHARLIE PODREBARAC He sees the project as a way to demonstrate support for sustainable and renewable energy. “This really engages students,” Stanley says. “Exercise suddenly means something, because you’re helping power the facility. It makes the workout more meaningful because you’re working for something instead of just sitting there spinning.” Mary Chappell, director of Girls’ guide to college chic recreation services, says the effort (which should be complete by hristie Garton grew up in Olathe with- August) is a small step the cen- Cout the helpful advice of a wise older ter can take to reduce its sister, which she especially needed when operating costs and envi- she left home for life in Lawrence as a KU ronmental impact. It could freshman. So she learned the secrets to col- lead to bigger steps. Much legiate success the hard way: trial and error. bigger. This was the inspiration behind Garton’s “If they’d just invent some- book, U Chic: The College Girl’s Guide to thing that harnesses the energy of Everything. Founder and president of Uni- all the people running up and down our versityChic.com, an online magazine and basketball courts,” Chappell laughs, “we stunning songstress. When journalism networking community for college women, could power the whole University.” professor Chuck Marsh, c’77, g’80, g’83, Garton, b’01, c’03, hopes to provide girls PhD’ 85, ended his lecture, Swift took time with the invaluable guidance she never had. out of her temporary class schedule to “After a few detours, roundabouts, and News travels swiftly sign autographs and pose for photos with restarts,” Garton writes, “I eventually backpack-laden fans, a bodyguard standing found my way through college and into the ne Monday in late April, a low rumble close by. real world.” Indeed, the former KU Stu- Odisrupted the robin’s song and shook Abigail Anderson, a sophomore from dent Alumni Association member became a the last surviving tulips as cell phones Hendersonville, Tenn., has been Swift’s company founder, author, columnist and buzzed with the news: best friend since high school and came to University of Pennsylvania law grad. But, Taylor Swift was on KU on a swimming scholarship. Swift she allows, “things would have been a campus. The young was in town visiting Anderson, who whole lot easier with the right advice.” singer-songwriter gave her friend the chance to Right advice—on dating, roommates, had been spotted experience real college life for classes—makes U Chic the go-to guide on in 110 Budig Hall a day. the issues most pertinent to today’s college and word spread Or as real as it can be girl. Even if she does have a sister. more swiftly than for a multi-platinum, her rise to stardom. pop-country superstar Tipped off by who doesn’t exactly have To move ahead, run in place text messages, to worry about the post-

Twitter updates graduation job market. RECORDS OF BIG MACHINE COURTESY tudents working out at the Ambler Stu- and Facebook Sdent Recreation Fitness Center this fall photos, students can help cut the facility’s utility bill under a flocked to Budig plan hatched by Andrew Stanley, c’09. to catch a Stanley convinced KU’s Student Environ- glimpse of the

ISSUE 4, 2009 | 9 Hilltopics BY STEVEN HILL

about campus life these days: Students concerned about the

STEVE PUPPE environmental health of their University and their planet are coming up with many, many ways to act on those concerns. And they are driving most of these green initiatives themselves. Kelly Kindscher, associate scientist at the Kansas Biologi- cal Survey, has for the past 10 years served as the faculty adviser for KU Environs, a stu- ■ Lauren Ashman dent group that promotes and England Porter are awareness of environmental part of a campuswide issues. He says the number of surge in student green ventures on campus has activism that’s fueled skyrocketed, as students look by growing concern for for ways not simply to voice the environment. their worries about the environment, but to improve the health of the planet. In bloom “It’s really obvious that there Campus activism is back in style, is a much greater environmental concern that the students and the color of the day is green have right now,” says Kind- scher, c’79, PhD’92. “The stu- n the past year, England Porter helped plant dents seem to be particularly thoughtful, a rain garden at the Ambler Student Recre- energetic, and they actually want results. It’s not ation Fitness Center; joined the Lawrence just, ‘I want this on my resumé; I’ll show up.’ Fruit Tree Project, an effort to plant and har- There’s sincere interest in doing something.” Ivest fruit trees across the city; led the student Greater student engagement manifests in a drive to rejuvenate Potter Lake; co-founded Eco- number of ways, Kindscher says. Enrollment is Justice, a student group that seeks to extend envi- up in the environmental studies program; KU ronmental justice to disadvantaged communities; Environs saw more student interest than ever last and chaired a Student Senate advisory board that year; and because of a proliferation of student oversees the campus sustainability fee, a student- groups with an environmental focus, that group approved levy that funds campus projects is no longer the University’s sole option for green intended to reduce the use of fossil fuels. students. The Independence senior in environmental “We used to be the student environmental studies admits her full load of extracurricular group,” says Ryan Callihan, Lenexa senior in envi- activities is not exactly typical of the average Jay- ronmental science and president of KU Environs. hawk. “Sometimes I’ve been so involved that I “Now we have to compete with other groups for haven’t always focused on school work,” she says, members and find a niche to focus on.” laughing. In addition, Callihan says, groups like his now Porter’s impressive list of projects is notable draw members from a wider range of majors. “It’s not for what it says about her, but what it says not only environmental studies majors who are

10 | KANSAS ALUMNI getting involved. We see I was an undergrad, I didn’t expect to have a job students from business, when I graduated, and I wasn’t thinking how architecture, engineer- things were going to directly relate to a job,” ing. And a lot of those Kindscher says. “Now students are really thinking EARL RICHARDSON schools now have their about that.” own green student Creative but practical solutions distinguish groups as well.” recent projects. Students planted a rain garden to This shift comes after help mitigate storm water runoff generated by the two decades in which new rec center expansion. Plants soak up rain, fil- students nationwide ter pollutants and beautify the grounds while were widely thought to reducing mowing needs, which improves air qual- be disengaged politi- ity. A campus garden behind University Relations’ “Environmentalism Kindscher cally. Student protests, Jayhawk Boulevard office reclaims neglected should not be which closed campuses and spilled into sur- green space, and student gardeners donate their rounding communities in the ’60s and ’70s, were vegetable crop to a local food pantry. The Potter dismissed as some much less frequent and far-reaching by the ’80s Lake Project, which looks to spruce up a campus kind of left wing and ’90s. Students were sometimes maligned— icon and encourage more use by students and fairly or unfairly—for supposedly focusing on only alumni, recently stocked the lake with carp to extremist thing. one thing in those go-go economic decades: control algae growth that chokes aquatic life and It’s not. It’s where making money. causes odor problems. The campus sustainability our food comes Now some of the old idealism is returning to fee—initially set at $1.50 per student but reduced campus, says Kindscher, who witnessed the tail by budget cuts to 25 cents for this fall—purchased from; it’s how we end of ’70s activism during his undergraduate wind energy credits to power Anschutz Library drive around. It’s days. But there’s a difference. and insulation to wrap campus steam pipes and “I would say many of us were very high- reduce heat loss. all that.” minded and idealist, and I think that’s sort of Idealism has morphed, as groups such as Eco- — Ryan Callihan coming back in that students are taking on these Justice combine big ideas with more nuts-and- issues without knowing entirely what the out- bolts efforts. A primary aim of the group is to comes are,” he explains. “Global warming and a open a conversation with students at Haskell lot of other environmental issues—these are not Indian Nations University, who Porter feels have easy problems for a student group to solve.” too often been ignored by the KU community. In The difference now, Kindscher says, is that stu- addition to supporting Haskell students in their dents exhibit “a little more practicality” in their opposition to the South Lawrence Trafficway, approach to solving big problems. At the same EcoJustice also would like to help construct a time, they are thinking much more about how boardwalk to improve access to wetlands on they can parlay their idealism into careers. “When Haskell property. SUSAN YOUNGER (3) YOUNGER SUSAN

■ Student-run projects are cleaning up Potter Lake, absorbing storm water at the student rec center and converting an abandoned playground to food production behind University Relations.

ISSUE 4, 2009 | 11 Hilltopics

Students also are careful not to let their passion for a cause detract from their mission. Lauren Ashman, a St. Louis senior in environmental science who participates in several environmental projects, discusses her ideas in the UNIVERSITY RELATIONS context of science. Her explanation for doing so suggests another reason students now prefer practicality to idealism. “If you talk too much about your passion, you get branded as too ‘hippie,’” she says. “And then people can forget there’s serious science backing your ideas.” Heritage honor Rather than get discouraged by the immensity of the issues, Ashman and other students say, The Campus Heritage they have felt urged into action. They share a ■ Iraq war veteran Daniel Parker formed the Collegiate Plan, the comprehensive sense that the problems have gotten too big to Veterans Association to help KU students with military planning document ignore. “Global climate change is everywhere now, and experience. unveiled by KU last fall it’s kind of hard not to pay attention to it,” Ash- (“The Once and Future man says. “We’ve lost our way in terms of really on their own for the first time—those were bigger Campus,” issue No. 6, understanding how ecosystems function and how challenges. 2008) to preserve the we can alter that function in ways that directly Negotiating the administrative maze that’s part affect us. We need to conserve while still being of life at a big university, Parker, c’09, saw several historic elements of able to utilize these things in a sustainable fash- bureaucratic hurdles between veterans and a col- campus and guide new ion. That’s what really drives me, halting some of lege degree. For one, the University asks students development, won a the destruction we constantly participate in.” to pay tuition at the beginning of the semester, Preservation Advocacy Says Porter, “A lot of us see that we’ve come to but veterans receive GI Bill benefits monthly. He a point in our collective path where we can’t go also found little help learning about financial aid Award from the Kansas on with business as usual and we really do need for veterans. Preservation Alliance in to see a change. If we want to have a productive, On the social side, he felt a need to make con- June. The award honors long-lasting future—if we want to have the kind of tact with like-minded people, those who’d been groups and individuals successes our parents had—we need to change through the wars, literally, and shared the same things now. The time is past for us to say some- frame of reference. for commitment to one else will do it. It’s about us doing it now.” Parker and a couple of friends founded the KU historic preservation Collegiate Veterans Association, a student group in Kansas. ◆ ◆ ◆ that advocates for improved services and promotes social networking to help those with military experience find their place on campus. A voice for vets “The current trend is that a lot of veterans don’t finish school, not because they’re failing Student group tries to clear obstacles out, but because they couldn’t meet the financial to former soldiers’ college success obligations,” he says. “Our group is here to make sure there are as few barriers as possible on the s a 23-year-old just off a five-year stint in administrative side, but that there’s also a com- the Marine Corps, including two tours of munity they can rely on for support.” duty in Iraq, Daniel Parker found the Parker says the obstacles he encountered stem transition to college different from that from a common misperception: People believe Aof most freshmen: easier in some ways, harder in veterans are being taken care of. others. “Hardly ever do we encounter resistance; it’s Getting up in the morning, making it to class just that no one is thinking about these things or on time, completing complex assignments—no managing these problems,” he says. “People are problem for one accustomed to exacting military surprised to learn we’re underserved.” discipline. But writing one big check for tuition In three years the group has worked with Uni- and fitting in with classmates, most 18-year-olds versity administration to start a plan that allows

12 | KANSAS ALUMNI veterans to pay tuition over the course of a semester, and with KU Bookstores to spread book pay- ments over 90 days, interest free. They also lobbied the state’s congressional delegation to vote for the new GI Bill, which provides better Visitor tuition support and living expenses for veterans. “They are bringing some things to our atten- Political partners tion, and they are making things happen,” says Betty Childers, manager of the student records ormer Sens. Bob, ’45, and Elizabeth Dole center for the registrar’s office and a U.S. Depart- Fpresented the 2009 Dole Lecture. ment of Veterans Affairs certifying official for KU. “We are trying to focus on what we can do for vet- WHEN: May 3 erans,” including surveying vets to find out what new services are needed, printing new brochures WHERE: Dole Institute of Politics “I think the to publicize services already offered and working American with admissions to customize new-student orien- BACKGROUND: Each spring the Dole people are ready tation for those with military experience. The reg- Lecture features a prominent national figure istrar’s office is working with CVA and the office speaking on politics or policy issues. This [for health care of professional military graduate education to marked the second appearance in the series for reform]. We’ve construct an improved Web site that will serve as Bob Dole, who retired from the U.S. Senate in an online gateway to direct veterans to people 1996, and the first for Elizabeth Dole, who rep- got to fix it. They who can answer questions about a range of top- resented North Carolina in the U.S. Senate don’t look to ics. The office has even stepped forward to take from 2003 to ’09. responsibility for the annual Veteran’s Day cele- see if there’s a bration. “A lot of this has come about because of ANECDOTE: The Doles opened their D or an R after the CVA,” Childers says. “I give them a lot of remarks to a crowd of 1,000 by remembering your name.” kudos.” their good friend (and Bob Dole’s former run- —Bob Dole One direct change accomplished by CVA: In ning mate) Jack Kemp, who died May 2. They October the group will open a resource center in recalled Kemp as a prime example of a politi- the Burge Union to serve as a study space and cian who embodied the spirit of public service social hub for student veterans. Parker hopes a the Dole Institute tries to encourage. “He was full-time staff member eventually can be hired to one of those Republicans who wanted to make answer questions about scholarships, health care the party bigger for the right reasons,” Bob and other issues specific to students with military Dole said. “He’s just a good guy and a good experience. Until then, CVA’s center and Web site friend.” (kuveterans.org) will encourage veterans to seek guidance in navigating college life by putting QUOTE: “I can’t tell you what a great gift it them in touch with fellow students who know can be to feel that you’re involved in something what they’re going through. bigger than yourself, that you’ve found a sense “I think it’s important to provide that social of mission,” Elizabeth Dole said. “I do believe framework for vets to fall into, so they are not just that public service is a noble profession.” completely blown away by being in a new environment where they have nothing in common with anyone,” Parker says. “When you meet other veterans, because of the shared experience, the common things you’ve gone through, there’s an

instant social connection.” UNIVERSITY RELATIONS Veteran enrollment at KU now totals about 300, but the registrar’s office expects the numbers to increase with recent passage of a new GI bill, according to Childers. “The veterans are small in number, but personally I feel they’ve paid a higher price to get here to use their benefits,” she says. “We need to do all we can.”

ISSUE 4, 2009 | 13 Hilltopics

LAW ■ Lydia Beebe, Barry Three receive alumni award Halpern and John Jurcyk Jr. from School of Law were honored with the law school’s Distinguished The School of Law bestowed its high- Alumni Award in May. est honor on three graduates in May, SCHOOL OF LAW COURTESY awarding the Distinguished Alumni Award to Lydia Beebe, Barry Halpern and John Jurcyk Jr. The annual award honors alumni who have distinguished themselves through exemplary service to the legal profession, their community, KU, the state or the nation. Beebe, j’74, l’77, San Francisco, has long worked in legal and governmental affairs positions for Chevron Oil. She firm founded by Frank Snell, l’24, for of Greater Kansas City and a member of served on the board of the Presidio Trust whom the law school’s courtroom is the law school’s Board of Governors. from 2003 to 2008, is president of the named. He helped grow Snell & Wilmer The honorees were welcomed back the Society of Corporate Secretaries and Gov- into one of the nation’s best known Hill with a dinner May 2 at the Adams ernance Officers and serves on the KU regional firms, and sits on the law Alumni Center. Law Alumni Board of Governors. She has school’s Board of Governors. “Each has excelled as a legal profes- been named one of the most influential John Jurcyk Jr., l’57, Lake Quivira, sional, exemplifying the highest ideals of businesswomen in the Bay Area for the retired from a long career as a trial lawyer the legal profession and practicing law as past nine years. at McAnany, Van Cleave and Phillips in ‘a learned profession in the public inter- Barry Halpern, c’71, l’73, Phoenix, 2005 to serve as senior policy adviser to est,’” said Gail Agrawal, dean of law. served as a Judge Advocate General in the Wyandotte County mayor and “Our distinguished alumni are an inspi- the Air Force and in 1978 became the county administrator. He has been presi- ration to our students and a source of second Jayhawk at Snell & Wilmer, a dent of the KU Law Alumni Association great pride to their teachers. They are important participants in the great enduring legacy of the KU School of Law.”

RESEARCH Update National Science Foundation

SUSAN YOUNGER SUSAN funds three Jayhawks s additional budget cuts loomed in late June, Athe Kansas Board of Regents approved KU’s Students Brian Quanz and Ali Nabav- proposal to increase tuition by 6 percent begin- izadeh and alumna Laura Stiles have won ning in August. But the plan protects the four-year $30,000 National Science Foundation tuition compact, which includes 40 percent of KU Graduate Research Fellowships. students. Under the compact, which began in fall The fellowships, which go to only 10 2007, freshmen pay a tuition rate that is frozen for percent of scholars who apply, pay tuition four years. Fall 2009 resident freshmen who participate and a stipend for three years. in the compact will pay $245.30 per credit hour—a rate 7 Quanz, Cary, N.C., doctoral student in percent higher than the Fall 2008 compact. The standard resident tuition for under- computer science, is developing software graduate seniors and transfer students is $218.90 per credit hour. For complete details that uses data to predict outcomes in on tuition and fees, visit www.tuition.ku.edu/rates.shtml. cargo security and genetic predisposition. FY 2010 cuts in state funding total $31.5 million for KU, but state leaders have Nabavizadeh, Olathe senior in ecology warned that more cuts of as much as 5 percent could be in store. Factoring the differ- and evolutionary biology, is studying how ent tuition rates, KU’s funding from tuition is projected to increase 4.1 percent. The the jawbones of herbivorous dinosaurs tuition plan generates $9.8 million in revenue, which will cover less than one-third of allowed them to thrive. Stiles, e’08, is the current budget reductions. earning a doctorate in aerospace engineering at the University of Colorado.

14 | KANSAS ALUMNI GEOGRAPHY Dobson tapped to advise Milestones, money and other matters U.S. State Department ■ AN $18.5 MILLION GRANT from the National Institutes of Jerome Dobson this spring became Health will help the Kansas IDeA Network of Biomedical Research the first KU faculty member to be named Excellence (K-INBRE) continue to promote the building of bio- a Jefferson Science Fellow, an honor that science infrastructure in Kansas. Since it was established in 2001 at will take the professor of geography to KU Med Center, K-INBRE has worked to improve Kansas the U.S. State Department for the 2009- researchers’ ability to compete for NIH funds by building a collabo- ’10 academic year. rative network of junior and senior biomedical investigators at the The prestigious fellowship, awarded Medical Center, the Lawrence campus and other universities across to only five to seven scholars each year, is the state. The five-year grant, led by K-INBRE director and principal intended to elevate the role of science investigator Joan Hunt, c’56, c’57, PhD’83, University distinguished and technology in the formulation of professor of anatomy and cell biology, brings total NIH funding for U.S. foreign policy. Hunt K-INBRE to more than $44 million. “My work at KU has a global dimen- sion that could benefit federal decision- ■ THE UNIVERSITY’S 137TH COMMENCEMENT procession stepped off under making on key international issues,” sunny skies May 17. The Class of 2009 numbered 7,176, with 4,571 spring graduates and Dobson says. “I’m honored to be named 2,605 who completed degree work in summer and fall a Jefferson Science Fellow, and I look for- 2008. KU’s newest alumni represent 97 Kansas counties, ward to starting this important assign- 44 states and the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and

ment in the fall.” STEVE PUPPE 60 countries. An independent panel of experts at the National Academies of Science ■ BETH WHITTAKER, c’92, g’94, will head the chooses participants based on their pro- Spencer Research Library starting Nov. 1. Sherry Williams, fessional stature, experience and ability who served as interim head of the library after former to articulate science and technology head William Crowe retired in 2007, will become the first issues to the public. curator of collections for the library in November and will Dobson, whose research includes continue as curator of the Spencer’s Kansas Collection. work with Geographical Information Sys- tems and development of mapping and ■ $2.9 MILLION IN FEDERAL STIMULUS MONEY will pay for repair projects at statistical tools to aid in the removal of KU’s Lawrence and Med Center campuses. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act land mines and cluster bombs in 40 funds, allocated by the Kansas Board of Regents in June, will fund improvements in fire code countries, is president of the American safety, roofing, electrical service, access for people with disabilities, and heating and air condi- Geographical Society and a fellow of the tioning in Lawrence, and for elevator and roof repairs and infrastructure improvements at Royal Geographical Society and the the Med Center. American Association for the Advance- ment of Science. ■ A $1.2 MILLION INVESTMENT FROM ARCHER DANIELS MIDLAND and a matching $1.2 million grant from the Kansas Bioscience Authority will support research by KU’s Center for Environmentally Beneficial Catalysis. The three-year project, managed by CEBC director Bala Subramaniam, Dan F. Servey distinguished professor of chemical and STEVE PUPPE petroleum engineering, will explore the production of biofuels and industrial uses for biomass.

■ JOSHUA CHARLES, a Moscow, Idaho, junior in piano and history, took top prize in the piano division at the Naftzger Young Artists Auditions and Music Awards competition in April. This marks the third consecutive year that a KU student has won the competition, held at Wichita State University.

■ A $62,000 GRANT from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission ■ Jerome Dobson will advise the U.S. State will speed up preservation efforts at the Robert J. Dole Archive and Special Collections at Department on foreign policy as a Jefferson the Dole Institute of Politics. One of the nation’s largest collections of the political papers, the archive contains complete records of Sen. Dole’s career. Science Fellow.

ISSUE 4, 2009 | 15 Sports BY CHRIS LAZZARINO

give Nebraska a run for the Big 12 North, must make do with a young

STEVE PUPPE offensive line and a redshirt freshman— Hawkinson—manning its premier position, left tackle. It worked OK last year, with redshirt freshman Jeremiah Hatch; now Hatch is moving to his natural position, center, ■ Mark your calendars: so his job at left tackle will be taken by Nebraska, Nov. 14, Hawkinson. Sophomore Jeff Spikes, the Memorial Stadium: Jake line’s other returning starter, stays at Sharp (1), newly minted right tackle. Coach Mark Mangino, entering his linebacker Angus Quigley eighth season at KU, began his first (22) and the rest of the news conference at the start of spring Jayhawks could be playing practice by announcing the news of for their first Big 12 Hatch going to center and Hawkinson North title. moving back across the line to take over Questions ... and answers at left offensive tackle. “We think those moves will improve Before contending for a Big 12 North title, our offensive line tremendously,” football must first fill a few gaps Mangino said. “Tanner Hawkinson is a very big, quick, athletic guy. He’s very talented and could play a lot of posi- ou know the stars: senior quarterback tions for us. We think that he has a chance to Todd Reesing, senior receiver Kerry develop into one of the next great left tackles Meier, junior receiver Dezmon Briscoe, here. senior safety Darrell Stuckey, senior run- “Obviously he needs a lot of work because it’s ningY back Jake Sharp. A name not so familiar is a foreign position to him. I think that move helps Tanner Hawkinson, but word that he had a pro- us get better in a lot of ways.” ductive spring practice might be the best possible Along with offensive line, the position getting news for KU football fans who hope to see their the most attention from coaches and fans is line- high-power Jayhawks win the first Big 12 North backer, where all three starters were lost to gradu- title in school history. ation: James Holt, Mike Rivera and Joe Mortensen Why Hawkinson? The redshirt freshman from started 103 games and combined for 821 tackles McPherson came to KU as a tight end, switched in their KU careers. to defensive end, and now plays Among the solutions Mangino has in mind is offensive line. Hardly the sort of moving senior Angus Quigley, a highly touted resumé that typically warrants recruit who never quite caught on at running football headlines. back, to linebacker. Mangino tested Quigley at And yet the high-octane the position during practices before the Insight offense, which KU will rely on to Bowl, and announced before spring practice that

“We think that he has a chance to develop into one of the next great left tackles here.” —coach Mark Mangino, on freshman Tanner Hawkinson Hawkinson

16 | KANSAS ALUMNI STEVE PUPPE Updates COURTESY LSU COURTESY

ouisiana State assistant coach Megan Smith is the new LKU softball coach. She replaces Tracy Bunge, ’87, a former All-American pitcher who retired after 13 seasons as coach. Smith, a 1999 North Carolina graduate, was a captain of her Tar Heels squad and, as a third baseman, defensive player of Quigley’s move to linebacker would be the year. After earning a master’s degree at Tennessee, she Smith permanent. returned to her alma mater as an assistant. In 2006 she was “I don’t want to get too much into the head coach for Western Carolina’s inaugural softball season. The Catamounts went X’s and O’s, but I will tell you that we are 41-20, and Smith was named conference Coach of the Year. In her three years as an playing less and less with three lineback- LSU assistant, the Tigers made three NCAA Tournament appearances, and Smith is ers on the field because of the way credited for the development of star freshman shortstop Juliana Santos, a member offenses have evolved in the Big 12,” of the SEC’s All-Freshman team. ... Mangino says. “Close to 80 percent of First-team All-Big 12 guard/forward Danielle McCray in June was named to the the time we are playing with two line- USA Women’s team for the World University Games. The senior-to-be was second in backers and an extra safety. the Big 12 and eighth in the country in scoring, at 21.6 points a game, and she led the “We are going to have a third line- Jayhawks in rebounding, steals, blocks, 3-point field goals and 3-point percentage. “Ever backer, but really more of a safety-type since being named a finalist in May, I have been in the gym nonstop,” McCray said. The guy who can play in space. Last year we last Jayhawk to make the World University Games team was Lynette Woodard, c’81, used a little bit of our base look with whose 1979 squad took the gold medal. ... Paige Higgins, f’05, the 2008 USA 25K three linebackers, but that was only champion, in June was chosen for the five-member women’s marathon team that will because we could get away with using represent the U.S. at the World Championships Aug. 23 in Berlin. ... Senior Zlata James Holt as an edge rusher.” Tarasova finished her collegiate career by placing 11th in the NCAA Outdoor Track Mangino hopes freshman Kale Pick, of and Field Championships’ hammer throw June 12 in Fayetteville, Ark. Wichita freshman Dodge City, can take over as the full-time Keith Hayes just missed the finals of the 110-meter hurdles. ... No. 2 quarterback, allowing Meier to In his first appearance for the U.S. National Team, against Team Canada June 28 in concentrate 100 percent on receiver. Cary, N.C., T.J. Walz threw 4 1/3 innings of scoreless relief. Fellow sophomore To n y Though the move will almost certainly Thompson, a first-team All-Big 12 third baseman, won the Big 12 triple crown, lead- help the NFL prospects for an admired ing the conference in batting average (.389), home runs (21) and RBI (82). Junior player who unselfishly stepped aside shortstop David Narodowski, a 15th-round pick of the Arizona D-backs, chose to when Reesing two years ago wrestled forego his senior season after signing a pro contract. Also drafted and signed were away the starting QB job, Mangino senior pitchers Shaeffer Hall (25th round, New York Yankees) and Paul Smyth insists that’s not the case. (35th round, Oakland A’s). Catcher Buck Afenir joins Hall in the Yankees’ organiza- “Kerry would be upset if that’s why he tion after signing a free-agent contract. Junior outfielder Brian Heere was chosen in thought we did it,” Mangino said. “I round 35 by the Boston Red Sox, but as of press time had think it will be good for our football not signed a contract. ... team, but if it becomes helpful to Kerry PGA Tour rookie Gary Woodland, c’07, of Topeka, personally, that is great. But that’s not JACOBSEN JEFF was among the top dozen golfers at the U.S. Open after the reason.” shooting 73-66 at rain-soaked Bethpage Black. Woodland Of some concern is the fact that easily made the cut, then shot 76-77 to finish in a tie for Briscoe, one of the nation’s most produc- 47th. ... Senior-to-be Meghan Gockel shot a 68 to win tive and exciting receivers, missed all of the qualifying round of the Women’s Southern Golf Ama- spring practice while suspended for “vio- teur in Albany, Ga. She won her first two matches over the lating team policy.” Briscoe was rein- following two days, then lost her quarterfinal match. ... The stated April 22, 11 days after the spring HorrorZontals advanced to the national tournament for game, but Mangino has proven in the ultimate (flying disc) collegiate club teams, in Columbus, past that he does not play favorites; any Ohio, for the fourth time in six years. further transgressions might well cost Gockel Briscoe game suspensions.

ISSUE 4, 2009 | 17 SEPTEMBER 4 Long Beach State Sports Calendar 6 Rhode Island 11 vs. Denver, at Colorado Springs 13 vs. Colorado College, at Colorado 24 Missouri ■ Football Springs 27 UMKC 18, 20 Jayhawk Invitational, vs. San 31 Texas A&M SEPTEMBER Diego, South Dakota State 5 Northern Colorado NOVEMBER 25 at Oklahoma State 12 at Texas-El Paso 27 at Oral Roberts 19 Duke 4 at Colorado 26 Southern Mississippi (Family Day 7 at Oklahoma OCTOBER 11 Kansas State & Band Day) 2 at Texas A&M 14 Baylor 4 at Texas 18 at Iowa State OCTOBER 9 Texas Tech 21 Nebraska 10 Iowa State (Homecoming) 11 Colorado 25 Texas Tech 17 at Colorado 16 at Oklahoma 28 at Texas 24 Oklahoma 18 at Baylor 31 at Texas Tech 23 Nebraska ■ Soccer 25 Iowa State NOVEMBER 30 Missouri 7 at Kansas State AUGUST 14 Nebraska ■ Senior Yuliana Svistun—here hitting a volley 23 at Drake 21 at Texas during KU’s 5-2 victory over KSU April 8 in 28, 30 at Volunteer Classic, 28 vs. Missouri at Arrowhead Sta- Lawrence—won Jayhawk tennis’ most presti- Knoxville, Tenn., vs. Pepperdine, dium, Kansas City Arizona State gious award, the Catherine Holland Most Valu- able Player trophy. Svistun, of Ulf, Russia, finished the spring season with 13 singles victories. ■ Volleyball AUGUST 28-29 at Middle Tennessee State

Tournament, vs. Xavier, Murray State JACOBSEN JEFF

SEPTEMBER 4-5 Jayhawk Invitational, vs. Lip- scomb, Florida International, Creighton 11-12 at Arkansas Tournament, vs. North Texas, Jacksonville State, Arkansas 16 at Missouri 23 Oklahoma 26 at Baylor 30 Colorado

OCTOBER 3 at Texas A&M 7 at Nebraska 10 Iowa State 14 Texas 17 at Kansas State 21 at Texas Tech

18 | KANSAS ALUMNI

20 | KANSAS ALUMNI KANSAS on her mind

UNC provost finds a new home at KU

o much for secrets. The first hint that the Kansas Board of Regents soon would name a new chancellor arrived in an e-mail, delivered at 8:50 a.m. on Friday, May 29, announcing that the Regents would, at 3 that Svery afternoon, “formally select, then officially introduce, the incoming chancellor of the University of Kansas.” The timing was utterly unexpected, and suddenly a sleepy, between- semesters TGIF became … the day. The white-smoke rising from the chapel chimney day. Everyone knew it was coming—Chancellor Robert E. Hemenway’s last day in office would be June 30—but nobody knew when.

BY CHRIS LAZZARINO

ISSUE 4, 2009 | 21 and Gray-Little, 64, was one of them.

STEVE PUPPE Maybe her secret was the research she’d done at the outset of her career, during a year spent in Denmark as a Fulbright Fellow, on how humans process information when forming first impres- sions of others. Perhaps it was her resumé: provost of a large public university ranked among the top five of member schools in the prestigious American Associa- tion of Universities, including oversight of the UNC medical center; member of the UNC psychology faculty since 1971; chair and director of undergraduate studies for the psychology department and later director of the clinical psychology graduate pro- ■ After a breakfast meeting with Alumni Association president Kevin Corbett, Chancellor Gray-Little’s first full gram; senior associate dean day on campus, June 10, opened with a meeting in Strong Hall with Chancellor Hemenway, who later joined with for undergraduate education his wife, Leah, in giving Gray-Little a tour of her new home, The Outlook (above). “I was not prepared for how in UNC’s College of Arts and beautiful the campus is,” Gray-Little said. “It is gorgeous.” The new chancellor spent the following day at Sciences; executive associate KU Medical Center before returning to North Carolina. Her first full day in office is scheduled for Aug. 15. provost; and, from 2004 until her 2006 appointment as provost, dean of the college. t could not have been possible to that day would emerge as their choice. Or, might it have been pure charm? A wrap a tighter seal around the Turns out, too, that she wasn’t even at winning smile, obvious grace, an easy search for Hemenway’s successor. her best. laugh? A. Drue Jennings, d’68, l’72, given Bernadette Gray-Little, executive vice All of the above? Ibroad discretion by the Regents when chancellor and provost at the University All we’ll ever know for sure is that it asked last December to chair the search of North Carolina, had endured long worked. Travel weary or not, Gray-Little committee, chose not to introduce the travel delays when flying out of both thoroughly impressed the Regents dur- finalists to the campus community or Raleigh-Durham and Washington, D.C., ing her interview the morning of May 29. even reveal their names or when and the afternoon and evening before; by that They had their winner. where they were interviewed. Friday morning, when she arrived in And still ... the secret held. And yet it turns out that when the big Topeka to meet with the Board of As afternoon approached, KU admin- day arrived, the Regents could easily Regents, she was running on just a few istrators still didn’t know who their next keep their secret because there was no hours sleep. boss might be. Members of the search secret to spill. She’d faced similar challenges when committee were equally clueless. The They had not yet chosen a new she met with the search committee— media? Forget it. Not even close to land- chancellor. flight delays, late arrival, not much rest— ing a scoop. In fact, as of the early hour when they and yet she’d done well. Only three of All anybody knew was that a chan- sent out the announcement of an after- eight candidates interviewed by Jennings’ cellor had been chosen. noon news conference, Regents had yet 18-member committee were forwarded to And then came Facebook. to even meet or interview all three final- the Board of Regents—which had directed The secret that very nearly went the ists sent to them by the search commit- the committee to find three to five final- distance finally succumbed to social tee, including the candidate who later ists and forward their names, unranked— networking.

22 | KANSAS ALUMNI Shortly before the Board of Regents opened their public meeting for the for- CHRIS LAZZARINO mal vote naming Gray-Little chancellor, the news leaked from Chapel Hill, N.C., where somebody posted an urgent update: Their beloved Bernadette Gray- Little—an administrator so popular that her appointment as provost was greeted by a standing ovation from the faculty— would within the hour be named KU’s new leader. Once her identity hit the North Car- olina Facebook page, KU officials relin- quished and posted it on KU’s Facebook page, too. The secret had been scuttled, yet the momentous occasion retained the gravity of history-in-the-making. At 3:20 p.m., Regent Jill Sadowsky Docking, c’78, g’84, offered a motion that the Board of Regents choose Dr. Bernadette Gray-Lit- Regents Chair Shank, Jennings tle, which was met by a unanimous chorus of “ayes.” A door at the back of the room opened, and in walked the winner. Search committee To a standing ovation. “One of the things that I have come to A. Drue Jennings, d’68, l’72, chair; senior counsel, Polsinelli Shughart; trustee, appreciate is that there is a sense of KU Endowment; Prairie Village place, a sense of tradition, about the Jeff Aubé, professor, medicinal chemistry University of Kansas,” Gray-Little said in Victor Bailey, director, Hall Center for the Humanities her first remarks as KU’s chancellor Dick Bond, c’59, l’60, consultant, Midwest Trust Co.; former chair, Kansas Board of designate. “That is very important. It is a Regents and former president, Kansas Senate; Overland Park place to be. It is an institution that has Dennis Constance, d’74, president, University Support Staff the commitment of many people, and I Bill Docking, c’73, g’77, l’77, chair, Union State Bank; former chair, Kansas Board of am delighted to be here and look for- Regents; Arkansas City ward to getting started.” Paul Farran, c’02, president, KU Unclassified Senate Jay Howard, b’79, president, JDH Investments; KU Alumni Association chair-elect; ◆ ◆ ◆ Austin, Texas Adam McGonigle, ’10, student body president ernadette Gray grew up in Wash- Gene Meyer, president and CEO, Lawrence Memorial Hospital, Lawrence ington, N.C., on the Pamlico Karen Miller, dean, schools of nursing and allied health River. The Pamlico feeds into Erick Nordling, c’79, attorney and partner, Kramer, Nordling & Nordling; president, Pamlico Bay, which itself is bor- Southwest Kansas alumni chapter; Hugoton deredB by North Carolina’s famous barrier Reggie Robinson, c’80, l’87, president and CEO, Kansas Board of Regents islands and the Atlantic Ocean. She Pam Shaw, c’82, m’86, professor of pediatrics, KU Medical Center describes the Washington of her youth as Linda Ellis Sims, e’79, manager, U.S. 3rd party basestock sales, ExxonMobil Corp.; “a small town with a lot of farms around trustee, KU Endowment; Independence, Mo. it,” and today the Inner Banks town of Deanell Reece Tacha, c’68, judge, 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals; trustee, 10,000 residents touts its heritage both KU Endowment; Lawrence as a regional shipping center and also the Tom Vaughn, g’78, l’78, Chapter 13 Trustee, U.S. Department of Justice; member, first American city named, in 1776, for KU Black Alumni Chapter leadership team; Chicago Gen. George Washington. Kurt Watson, d’75, president, IMA Financial Group Inc.; chair, KU Endowment; Wichita The history that matters most to Gray-Little, though, is her mother,

ISSUE 4, 2009 | 23 “I’m thrilled for her and she deserves it,” said Chancellor Holden Thorp. “She’s an incredible leader and a person of high integrity. She has all the skills needed to be a chancellor. It’s a big loss for Carolina.”

COURTESY UNIVERSITY RELATIONS COURTESY ◆ ◆ ◆

ray-Little says that, given the reality of how searches are conducted for top jobs at prominent universities, it is Gnecessary for a serious candidate to “make up your mind to make a commitment” to immediately accept the job if offered. After meeting with the search committee and learning that her name had been included among the finalists sent to the Board of Regents, Gray-Little began seri- ously considering whether or not she ■ Shortly after being named chancellor with a unanimous and enthusiastic vote by the Board of could make such a commitment to KU. Regents, Gray-Little met, for the first time, many of the University’s most senior and experienced Among her most trusted advisers was administrators, including (l-r) University Architect Warren Corman, e’50, and Senior Vice Provost UNC Chancellor Emeritus James Moeser, assoc., a former dean of the School of Don Steeples, assoc. Fine Arts at KU. Gray-Little was a member of the search committee when Moeser Rosalie Lanier Gray. She arrived at Marywood intending to “She was really a magnificent person, major in philosophy, engendered by a COURTESY UNIVERSITY RELATIONS in the sense of being very smart, very desire to understand human cognition down to earth, a voracious reader, some- and human thought, topics that had tan- one who had high expectations but at the talized philosophers for centuries. She same time wasn’t finicky or punishing discovered that the modern discipline of about your performance,” Gray-Little says psychology offered practical outlets for in an interview from her office on the pursuing those interests, as well as oppor- University of North Carolina campus in tunities for applied research. Chapel Hill, exactly a week to the hour She earned master’s and doctoral after she’d accepted the KU chancellor- degrees in cross-cultural psychology at St. ship. “That certainly stands out as some- Louis University, spent a year as a Ful- thing that was important for me as a bright Fellow in Denmark, then landed child, and her values are important to me her first faculty position, in 1971, as an as an adult.” assistant professor of psychology at the High school teachers pointed university she very nearly stood by her Bernadette Gray toward Marywood Col- entire career: North Carolina. lege, in Scranton, Pa. She never consid- “It was coming home only in the sense The family ered the University of North Carolina in of coming back to North Carolina,” Gray- Spouse: Shade Keys Little, currently Chapel Hill. Little says. “I had never been to Chapel associate dean of academic services, “Because of the history of racial and Hill before, and until I interviewed here I UNC gender segregation, it was just not a place had never been on campus.” Children: Son, Mark Little, and that I thought about being,” she recalls. Now, as Gray-Little switches daughter, Maura Garcia, both residents “It’s not even something I thought about allegiances for the first time in 38 years, of North Carolina as an option.” the University of North Carolina mourns. Grandchild: Mark William Garcia

24 | KANSAS ALUMNI CHRIS LAZZARINO KU Chancellors Ernest Lindley led the University for 19 years, the longest tenure among KU chancellors. Frank Strong served 18 years; Robert Hemenway’s 14-year tenure is the third-longest. R.W. Oliver, 1865-1867 John Fraser, 1867-1874 James Marvin, 1874-1883 Joshua A. Lippincott, 1883-1889 Francis H. Snow, 1890-1901 Frank H. Strong, 1902-1920 Ernest H. Lindley, 1920-1939 Deane W. Malott, c’21, 1939-1951 Franklin D. Murphy, c’36, 1951-1960 W. Clarke Wescoe, 1960-1969 E. Laurence Chalmers Jr., 1969-1972 Raymond F. Nichols, c’26, g’28, 1972-1973 Archie R. Dykes, 1973-1980 Gene A. Budig, 1981-1994 Delbert M. Shankel, 1994-1995 (also interim, 1980-1981) Robert E. Hemenway, 1995-2009 was chosen as UNC’s chancellor, and too, the Faculty Advisory Committee and Raleigh-Durham airport and her flight to it was Moeser who named Gray-Little Board of Trustees. Kansas City (via an unexpected detour executive vice chancellor and provost. Bernadette Gray-Little was everyone’s through Washington, D.C.), her son, Shortly after then-Provost Robert first choice, and when she accepted the Mark, asked, “Mama, are you going to get Shelton resigned to accept the presidency job 12 days after it became vacant, mem- this job?” of the University of Arizona, Chancellor bers of the Faculty Council greeted her “Mark,” she replied, “I’m going to get Moeser convened a meeting of his vice with a standing ovation. this job.” chancellors and began suggesting names Why even consider giving all that up? of potential candidates. William Roper, Because, Gray-Little explains, she felt ◆ ◆ ◆ dean of medicine and vice chancellor for confident in Moeser’s assessment that medical affairs, interrupted and said, the chancellorship at KU was a job wor- s she introduced Gray-Little as “Why don’t we just cut to the chase? We thy of her interest. the Regents’ choice to become can have a full-blown national search, “Regardless of what individual assets I the next KU chancellor, Chair and six to nine months from now, might have,” Gray-Little says, “and Donna Shank said the board Bernadette Gray-Little will be provost. regardless of what strengths and assets A“found her vision and her views on lead- Why not just name her now?” KU might have, the question is, ‘Is this a ership extremely impressive. She identi- Moeser agreed. Gray-Little didn’t. good fit?’ And one of the things that I fied priorities for KU that are absolutely Then dean of the College of Arts and sought from [Moeser], since he knows in line with our priorities for KU.” Sciences, Gray-Little told Moeser she still KU very well, was, ‘Does this seem like a Those priorities include improving had work to do and wouldn’t take the job good fit?’ We talked about it a number of undergraduate retention and graduation without others having a chance to inter- times, and he thought that it was. A very rates, increasing research funding, a need view, too. So Moeser polled the other good fit. And that was reassuring to me.” to launch a new capital campaign, deans, who unanimously agreed that As Gray-Little packed a bag on May continued pursuit of National Cancer Gray-Little should be named provost. So, 28, shortly before departing for the Institute designation, and the impor-

ISSUE 4, 2009 | 25 tance of intercollegiate athletics. comment on the symbolism.” Gray-Little’s emphatic “short answer” “She talked about a ‘disciplined cul- Reporters pressed the issue, noting after she’d been asked to comment on ture of excellence’ on campus,” said that many women and minorities had the Regents hiring a woman and a minor- Shank, assoc. “We found her to be very been hired for similar leadership ity as chancellor for KU. unassuming but very powerful.” positions. “I think that’s happening In a column published by the When the Regents concluded their around the world and the country,” she Lawrence Journal-World, Moeser wrote meeting and allowed reporters a chance agreed. “It’s about time.” that while Gray-Little is committed to to question Gray-Little, one immediately The “it’s about time” comment briefly diversity, “she is no ideologue on issues asked her to assess the significance of consumed local commentators, after it of race and gender.” Instead, she brings her being the first woman and the first was misrepresented by press reports and “objectivity and balance” when con- African-American chosen to lead KU. She widely misunderstood. One prominent fronting “issues that are often controver- replied, “I’m going to let someone else newspaper even presented it as sial and divisive.” Shortly after Moeser became chancellor, he asked Gray-Little to carefully study gender equity in faculty salaries, a Med Center leader named interim chancellor controversy raging on the UNC campus at the time. The report she delivered was he Kansas Board of Regents on June 4 appointed COURTESY UNIVERSITY RELATIONS not what those making allegations of pay TBarbara Atkinson, executive vice chancellor of KU disparity wanted to hear, Moeser wrote, Medical Center, as interim chancellor, effective July 1. but in a meeting of the Faculty Council Chancellor Robert E. Hemenway’s 14-year chancellorship Gray-Little calmly rebutted the assertions concluded June 30, and Bernadette Gray-Little is sched- “with the data only an accomplished uled to arrive Aug. 15. social scientist could produce.” “Dr. Atkinson is perfectly suited to preserve the conti- Within an hour, her opposition had nuity of university leadership,” said Regents chair Donna conceded. Shank, “and I know that she will ensure a smooth and “Through all of this,” Moeser wrote, seamless transition.” “Bernadette never lost her poise. She is Atkinson will resume her duties at KUMC once Gray- cool under pressure.” Little is in Lawrence. Atkinson, named executive dean of the School of Medicine in 2002, has been executive vice chancellor since 2005. In that ◆ ◆ ◆ role she is one of the chancellor’s two most senior administrators and advisers, along with the provost. f course there’s cool, and then Atkinson was among the KU leadership contingent in Topeka for Gray-Little’s hiring, there’s cool. and afterward said, “She’s done a wonderful job [at UNC]. It’s an outstanding school The University of North and I’m really pleased to have a chance to work with her.” Carolina’s executive vice Ochancellor and provost was respected As provost at Carolina, Gray-Little oversaw the university’s highly regarded, National Cancer Institute-designated medical center. Atkinson, and many others, cited that expe- within her office for giving employees rience as a particular strength for Gray-Little, especially as KU enters the final phases of both broad direction and authority, as pursuit of NCI designation for KU Medical Center. well as support and opportunities to “I think most administrators in universities today understand medical centers at least develop their skills. But she was beloved a little bit, but it’s great that she is affiliated with a really good one,” Atkinson said. “She for cracking the place up with her own understands what needs to be done and will be supportive.” special birthday song. Atkinson’s is not the only temporary appointment among top administrators: Danny Will the tradition be beneath a J. Anderson, g’82, PhD’85, vice provost for academic affairs and professor of Spanish, in chancellor? May was named interim provost for the upcoming academic year. “Certainly not,” Gray-Little says with a In that role he replaces Joseph Steinmetz, former dean of the College of Liberal Arts charming laugh. and Sciences who, shortly after being named interim provost, accepted an offer to join And what exactly makes her rendition Ohio State University as executive dean and vice provost. Greg Simpson, PhD’80, chair so special? of psychology, is interim dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. “It’s a special song,” she replies. Former provost Richard Lariviere is now president of the University of Oregon. “And I’m not telling you what it is.” Seems some secrets are meant to —C.L be kept.

26 | KANSAS ALUMNI The KU Alumni Association invites nominations for the University’s highest honor Distinguished Service Citation

Salute Outstanding Achievements for the Betterment of Society and in Behalf of Humanity

ince 1941 the University of Kansas and its SAlumni Association have bestowed the Distin- guished Service Citation upon 324 alumni and 36 honorary alumni. Recipients are selected from nominations submitted to the Alumni Association and reviewed by a Selection Committee. Distinguished Service Citation recipients will be honored by the Association in September 2010.

Nominations may come from any source and should include a recent résumé of the candidate’s service history, including career, published works, previous honors and service to the world, nation, state, community and University. Three letters of support should accompany each nominator’s letter and be sent to the attention of the DSC Selection Committee.

The deadline for nominations for the 2010 awards is Nov. 30, 2009.

Send nominations for the 2010 awards to: DSC Selection Committee, KU Alumni Association 1266 Oread Avenue, Lawrence, KS 66045-3169 For more information, visit www.kualumni.org Mommy’s All Right, Daddy’s All Right

Surrender? No way. Indie duo Mates of State believe the family that rocks together, rolls together.

t’s pushing 10:30 on a rainy Monday night in Kansas City. Most parents, their children tucked in bed, have collapsed on the couch for some much needed downtime. Not Jason Hammel and Kori Gardner, the Mates of State, a husband-and-wife rock band that’s drawing acclaim as it Itravels the world with toddlers in tow. They are about to take the stage at Westport’s Beaumont Club, the 11th stop on a tour that includes 23 concerts in 28 days. Tonight, they’re third to play, the featured band on a bill with Judgement Day and Black Kids. Jason, a lanky 30-something in red shirt and gray sweater, eases behind his drum kit and sets an upbeat tempo. Kori, a striking blonde in black blouse and blue tights, jumps in on keyboards. “Posed pictures on the walls. Small talk in the bed- room hall …” More than 400 fans mouth the words, snap photos and sway to the beat.

BY CAROL CRUPPER

28 | KANSAS ALUMNI FAMILY PORTRAITS BY STEVE PUPPE

ISSUE 4, 2009 | 29 30 | KANSAS ALUMNI Their opener, “My Only Offer,” explores one of the band’s favorite Being together 24/7 over the last 10 years, themes: the challenges of long-term com- “most relationships couldn’t stand that closeness. mitment. Their songs, often pulsating conversations, talk of romantic love, But it works for them, and fans know they’re real. sense of self, domesticity and change, and do so with style. Their fifth album, —Manager Ben ”Dickey “Re-Arrange Us,” released in 2008, appeared on several “best of” lists across the country and this cross-continent tour Lawrence’s Replay Lounge. Jason heard ends they played small clubs on the is rockin’. Kori playing acoustic guitar with a local West Coast. “Like U Crazy,” “Ha Ha,” “Think band and introduced himself. “I’m in As their following grew, they decided Long.” As the two deftly bridge from one love with your voice,” he told her. The to put their music center stage. “We fig- song to the next, outside on the tour bus two felt an instant attraction. Both were ured we would try it for a year, and if it their two young daughters lie fast asleep. dating others, but that soon would didn’t work out we could always come change. They teamed in a four-member back to our jobs,” Kori says. Both were a ◆ ◆ ◆ band called Vosotros, and then took off bit nervous, Jason admits. “But we had on their own as Mates of State. each other for support.” ason, c’98, and Kori, d’97, met, fell in Band and couple became inseparable; In 2001, they wed and set out on a love, and launched their band in long-held dreams became shared. nine-month world tour. A few years later, 1997, their final year in Lawrence. As a fifth-grader in Minnesota, Jason no longer sleeping on other people’s Both ditched traditional careers to took up drums and piano. In high floors, they decided to start their family. Jpursue their passion and, in less than school, he organized a punk rock group. Magnolia, 4, was born between their a decade, built a solid fan base while Kori loved music, too, but always on the third and fourth albums, and the Mates expanding their family and their range. side, she says. “Jason made me look at it moved to Connecticut to be close to The greatest surprise, says Kori: “That as a more serious thing.” Kori’s family. A year ago, baby June we’re still doing it, that it hasn’t gone After college, they moved to San Fran- joined the crew. downhill. There’s no security, but we’re cisco and counted on “real” jobs for Today Mates of State travel with dia- doing well.” income: Kori taught elementary school pers and wipes, and while other rockers Their odyssey began at downtown and Jason did cancer research. On week- demand Cristal backstage or bowls of

■ The freedom to spend time

SUSAN YOUNGER SUSAN with their kids and each other is a big draw of the rock ’n’ roll life for Mates of State’s Kori Gardner and Jason Hammel. A recent world tour brought the duo and their daughters, Magnolia (with Jason and aboard scooter, far left) and June (with Kori, top left), to the Beaumont Club in Kansas City. Music critics praise the quirky, original sound and themes of long-term love and family life in the band’s work, including their most recent album, “Re-Arrange Us.”

ISSUE 4, 2009 | 31 M&Ms with all the brown candies wake to explore the next city, enjoying ciates the edge Jason adds to their music removed, the Mates’ contract calls for occasional play dates with children of as well as his ability to bring pieces and baby food and a surprise for a 4-year-old. friends along the way. A nanny helps projects to completion. “It helps for Mags to have something to care for the girls. Their manager, Ben Dickey, stands in look forward to,” Kori says. Having children keeps them focused, awe. “Being together 24/7 over the last In Westport, at the afternoon sound both say, and they enjoy having them as 10 years, most relationships couldn’t check, Magnolia glides across the dance travel partners. “I feel really lucky to be stand that closeness,” he says. floor on her scooter. June giggles as she such a big part of their lives,” Jason says. But it works for them, and Dickey says plays ball with mom and toddles about Magnolia attends preschool, so when fans know they’re real. “There’s a lot of the room. Both girls wear ear guards to her parents do short tours she stays with great chemistry between Jason and Kori. protect their hearing. Grandma. “We won’t leave them longer They’ve been very open about being a Kori details their hectic life on a blog, than a week,” Kori says. “Our strategy is couple, having a family. People can relate “Band on the Diaper Run.” It is “a way to to keep routines as normal as possible.” to that,” he says. “Their music is fantastic contemplate moments that we some- At home in Stratford, the Mates com- on its own, but this adds a whole other times don’t realize as moments,” Kori pose and record in their home studio, set of reference points.” says. Not-so-highlights include “three dividing work equally. Both sing and David Dye, host of NPR’s “World seven-hour drives in a row with kids, write, drawing material from their lives, Café,” has had the Mates on his show tantrums (adults included), carsickness, “everything we encounter on an every- several times. “Their writing and how McDonald’s.” day basis,” Jason says. they approach the music have only got- The Mates have traveled in cars, vans, Each partner enhances the whole. ten deeper over the last couple of airplanes and, most recently, buses, a “Kori is an amazing singer,” Jason says. albums,” he says. transport they now prefer. With a bus, “She’s good with melodies, harmonies. I He sees them in this business for the they hit the stage, sleep on the road, and like to mess things up a bit.” Kori appre- long haul. “To me the indie music scene

DISCOGRAPHY

My Solo Project Our Constant Concern Team Boo 2000 2002 2003 Dan Cooper, Stylus magazine, rates Mates of State’s sophomore album Robert Mitchum, of Pitchfork, finds this album B+: “This is an ingenious takes some grief from critics for the Mates adding to their sound in duo. Though their lyrics aren’t its slower pace. Still, says Wayne surprising ways while remembering exactly profound and most times Lewis for Flack, “There is some- what they did right in the first what you think you hear doesn’t thing at once rough-hewn, fresh place. “‘Team Boo’ brings back the even make sense, it’s all still good and perfectly charming about the carefree raucousness that marked fun.” Although he finds the first Mates’ music.” ‘My Solo Project’: Giant calliope track “utterly odd,” the last eight organ! Crooked waltz drumming! leave him grinning ear to ear. Joyous holleration harmonies!”

32 | KANSAS ALUMNI is not so much about bands making it between touring and big, as it is artists making enough money home. Doing an occa- to do what they love,” Dye says. “The fact sional ad and having

that Mates of State have developed a their song “Free” YOUNGER SUSAN model that allows them to parent and played on TV’s “Ugly produce music, to travel and provide a Betty” help finance foundation for their kids is admirable. home time. Touring, Are they going to break out and be the which once consumed next big thing? I don’t see that as their 90 percent of their goal. But being able to tour and play for schedule, now takes enthusiastic audiences, that continues.” up 60 percent, which The Mates have been featured on Kori calls about right. “ABC News” and “Good Morning Amer- Their goal is to ica.” They’ve played on “Late Night with keep improving. Conan O’Brien” and toured with Chicago They’ve expanded Public Radio’s “This American Life.” their initially spare Selling out the Great American Music instrumentation with Hall in San Francisco was a major mile- a more orchestral stone for Kori, who measures success, in sound and diverse part, by the venues they play. “Seeing the arrangements, tempering each new ingre- change, Jason says. But, “you don’t want world, having worked out this crazy dient with a dose of caution. They’ve to spoil the whole stew.” lifestyle,” those are highlights, too. even added a couple of musicians to As he looks to the future, he keeps his For her, the key is striking balance back them on tour. To grow, you need to eyes on the prize: “Ultimately, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame; for tomorrow, it’s figuring out a good chorus for the song I’m writing.” In their fast-paced world, Kori often pauses to take their pulse. “Sometimes I think my life is too busy, too crazy because of the lifestyle choices we have made,” she writes on her blog. “But then I realize life just is crazy. If we weren’t touring it would be just as chaotic … filled with other catalysts for crazy—like perhaps jobs we didn’t love.” As the girls grow, adjustments await. At present they’re exploring kindergarten options for Magnolia and looking into scoring films. Bring It Back Re-Arrange Us For Kori, the best thing about this gig 2006 2008 is time spent with people she likes. For Jason it’s being in charge of his own life. Yohan Brohamsky, Blog Critics Stephen Thompson, for NPR’s “All “It was always a fantasy to be in a rock ‘n’ magazine, calls this album “the Songs Considered,” selects “The roll band,” he says. “Somehow we’ve cure for depression” and celebrates Re-Arranger” on this album as top managed to make it reality.” the band’s evolution. Kori and Jason song of the year: “I think it’s the Back at the Beaumont, fans think the apply technical knowledge acquired year’s most romantic record. It’s a best part is the music—and demand an from the road in the studio, leading song cycle about maintaining a lov- encore. The Mates oblige, bidding adieu to greater experimentation. ing relationship, and growing up as with “The Re-Arranger,” a song that a couple, with kids. (This song) has reflects a twosome true to their launch: a a chorus ‘love loud, don’t lose loud.’ partnership of like-minded equals, loving And I just love that.” —C . C . loud, living their dream. Crupper, d’67, a Lawrence freelance writer, wrote “Green Dream” in issue 6, 2007.

ISSUE 4, 2009 | 33 iz Sigler Kurlbaum walks slowly between the rows of neatly staked heirloom tomato plants. Her faded jeans, bright green T-shirt advertising “Kurl- baum Tomatoes,” and pith hel- met ward off the summer sun Las she scans the rows looking for pests that Heirloom could threaten her crop and her quest: growing the most flavorful tomatoes possible using all-natural farming. The green rows are clearly labeled— Cherokee Purple, Black Krim, Gold Medal— more than 30 varieties in all. Each was Harvest carefully selected by Kurlbaum and her family to deliver a tomato trifecta: vibrant BY CYNTHIA PARKS color, unique texture and a flavor incredible enough to sate a man’s years-long craving. PHOTOGRAPHS BY STEVE PUPPE “We were trying to find a tomato to satisfy my husband,” Kurlbaum, c’81, laugh-

34 | KANSAS ALUMNI FARMER REAPS PRIZED TOMATOES WHILE TENDING HER FAMILY’S LOVE FOR THE LAND AND RESPECT FOR BUSINESS

altered for mass production, and are pol- foodies because they’re full of taste and linated naturally and nurtured for character. These varieties were what our vibrant taste. They are passed down grandparents ate; they truly have that through generations, as the name ‘tomato-y’ taste. ” implies. The Kurlbaums’ tomato operation is Kurlbaum planted a handful of vari- small, encompassing only 2 acres of the eties, hoping to sell a few at a farmers 52-acre Kansas City, Kan., farm where market. Then came the first “experimen- Kurlbaum grew up. The operation is co- tal” crop, flavor-filled and color-rich. She managed by the Kurlbaums and Kurl- sold out an entire truckload her first baum’s sister Sally Kuklenski, assoc., and weekend with no advertising other than her husband, Rick, b’72. a piece of Sheetrock with an arrow point- What it lacks in size it more than ing to her house. The next season, a local makes up for in a reputation for taste chef spied her husband, Sky, assoc., car- and quality that keeps its customer list rying a gift basket filled with the distinc- growing. Kurlbaum has been featured on tive fruit and wanted to buy them on the radio shows, in newspapers and food spot. Kurlbaum’s Heirloom Tomatoes blogs, and in late June the farm was fea- was officially in business. tured on a tour for the Kansas City Cen- From that first year selling out of the ter for Urban Agriculture. Kurlbaum has back of a pickup truck, the Kurlbaums’ been dubbed the “tomato lady” by cus- business has grown to supply about 20 tomers, tomato aficionados and anyone of the area’s top restaurants and grocers, who sees her tooling around town in her ingly recalls. “Every season, he would not to mention the loyal customers who bright red vintage truck. Each successive say, ‘I want a tomato that tastes like they come running for the ultra-fresh bounty year, the family has increased the num- did on the farm when I was growing as soon as Kurlbaum’s handmade sign ber of plants—the current crop is about up.’” appears each summer. 1,800—and expanded seed varieties and And with that exacting standard, the “Absolutely nothing compares to a crop space. quest began. A longtime gardener, Kurl- sun-sweetened, vine-ripened tomato,” Growing the most flavorful tomatoes baum in 2002 began experimenting with says Jennifer Bonar Roe, c’87, g’99, editor possible is a process that starts in Janu- heirloom varieties. Heirlooms—prized by of tastebud, a Kansas City-area food and ary, when the first seed catalogs land in chefs and gourmands—are grown from lifestyle magazine. “Heirloom tomatoes the mailbox. The Kurlbaums and Kuklen- seeds that have never been genetically are extremely popular with chefs and skis pore over catalogs and choose each

ISSUE 4, 2009 | 35 year’s “must-grows”—tomatoes that will who pick, other times it’s the entire fam- ■ “Tomato lady” Liz Kurlbaum (p. 34) grows deliver that “killer yummy” flavor, as ily. Still other times, it may be friends of more than two dozen heirloom varieties on her Kurlbaum characterizes it. son Sky, a KU sophomore, eager to make Kansas City farm, where family and friends pitch “Gardeners are like drug addicts,” she a little extra cash. For Kurlbaum, the fam- in with labor and TLC. Above: (back row, l to r) says with a smile. “Give them a seed cata- ily involvement, particularly the next Max, Sky, Liz and Sky Kurlbaum, and Sally and log and they can’t stop. Every year our generation, is the most important aspect Elliot Kuklenski. Front row: Eli and Noah Kurl- ‘must-grow’ list gets larger.” of the business. baum. Family involvement is paramount, Liz The seeds arrive in March and Sky “We felt like no matter how good our says. “That’s really why we do this.” nurtures them for six weeks in the base- kids’ education was, it lacked the hands- ment of the family’s Overland Park on experience of having a business and home, balancing just the right amounts all that a business trains you for in life,” of water, light and fertilizer. Once plants she explains. “Both my husband and I That part of the job comes naturally sprout their third and fourth leaves, they knew how valuable that is and wanted it for Kurlbaum, the youngest of 11 chil- are transplanted one by one to individual for our kids. That’s really why we do dren, who started selling fruit from the plugs in a 24-pack plastic tray and this.” family’s orchard when she was 5. Her moved to a greenhouse on the farm. On For the 2008 and 2009 seasons, the farm background and marketing expert- or around Mother’s Day, they go into the families turned the farm management ise have enabled her to quickly grasp ground; the first crop arrives in late June, over to their two oldest sons. Once the what her customers want. Chefs are look- and the season peaks in mid-August. seeds were selected and planted, Sky Jr., ing for unusual, intense flavor for their For Kurlbaum and her family, harvest 19, and Elliot Kuklenski, a 21-year-old salads and sauces, while grocers also time means rising at dawn, hand picking student at St. Louis University, were “in need vibrant colors to attract discerning each tomato, then carefully packing them charge” of picking and overseeing the buyers willing to pay top dollar for heir- in crates. By midday, the heirlooms are packing and delivery. loom tomatoes. It’s an expertise her cus- usually headed to a restaurant or grocery “The final part I want to see them do tomers appreciate. store, and often are on someone’s plate is make sales calls,” says Kurlbaum, “Our company is committed to buying for that night’s dinner. “because it doesn’t matter how good from local food producers,” says Bill Sometimes it is just the two sisters your product is if you can’t sell.” Chapman, of Cosentino’s Brookside Mar-

36 | KANSAS ALUMNI farmers like Liz can grow foods that are says. “Successful small growers have bred for taste, not durability to withstand business plans that help bring some a cross-country trek, so consumers get a equilibrium to such an unpredictable far superior product. Most local produc- profession. Liz has done an outstanding ers like Liz also tend to practice farming job and has also worked hard to cultivate techniques that promote sustainability.” long-term relationships with customers Shortly before his death, Kurlbaum’s who rely on her consistency and quality.” father extracted a promise from her For Kurlbaum, it’s all just part of the never to sell the farm, so sustainability of business. And with Sky’s palate now at their land is of utmost importance. The peace, she plans to turn her hand to family farming methods reflect that. They other heirloom crops. She also hopes to dry-farm (relying only on rainwater for possibly allocate some acreage for a irrigation), eschew manufactured pesti- scholarship program that would give cides, and fertilize by spraying the plants young people the opportunity to work with an all-natural “tea” made from their way through college while learning worm castings, molasses and water. Con- how to run a business. The family cerned about soil erosion caused by also wants to increase restaurant and excessive tilling, they have experimented grocery store distribution while continu-

ket, part of a locally owned, 25-store with such methods as “no-till” farming to ing to meet the needs of the everyday chain. “So we need growers who can sup- preserve the quality of the farm’s soil. tomato lover. ply us all season. Liz’s operation is very But the all-natural commitment has “The best part about farming is being small, but she has a specific product we come at a cost. Spring 2008 was wet and able to share the bounty with your need and is very good at communicating cold, creating the perfect environment friends and neighbors,” she says. “We’ll how much and what she has to sell. “ for pests that feasted on young tomato always want to do that.” Chapman and others see the trend of plants. A late-May hailstorm destroyed —Parks is a freelance writer in Leawood. eating locally farmed food—once the the first delicate blossoms, and in mid- purview of farmers’ markets and road- summer deer invaded, devouring side stands—increasing as more con- whole plants and forcing Kurl- ■ Taste, texture and vibrant color sumers look closer to home for improved baum to beef up the farm’s distinguish Kurlbaum’s heirloom freshness and taste and to support their fences. local economies. “Every step of a crop, which includes Gold Medal, “Supporting local growers reaps farmer’s journey, from left, and (p. 35) Cherokee Purple, countless benefits for both the grower field to market, is fraught Amish Paste, Dr. Wyche’s Yellow, and the consumer,” Roe says. “Local with uncertainty,” Roe Black Krim and Great White.

ISSUE 4, 2009 | 37 Association

Fred Ellsworth, c’22, led the Association staff as executive secretary from Asher Johnston McKinney 1934 to 1963. The medallion Meritorious service honors Asher’s work as an international authority thanks Jayhawks on spinal research, patient care, and development Loyalty of 2009 medalists of spinal treatment devices. who continue Asher helped develop in 1989 the Isola Spinal his tradition of echoes Ellsworth’s example Implant System, one of the most common devices for treating deformities. The St. John native cre- commitment he Alumni Association will honor three ated innovative outreach clinics, sharing his to KU. Jayhawks as recipients of the Fred knowledge in Colby, Garden City, Hays, Hutchin- Ellsworth Medallion. They are Marc son, Parsons, Salina and Topeka. He taught and Asher, m’62, Leawood; Donald Johnston, mentored medical residents, and traveled world- Td’56, l’66, Lawrence; and Janet Martin McKinney, wide to share his surgical techniques. He c’74, Kerrville, Texas. The Association’s national authored or co-authored 90 scholarly papers. Board of Directors will recognize the three for Although he retired from full-time practice in their longtime KU service Sept. 4 at the Adams 2002, he continued to consult with other physi- Alumni Center. cians and conduct clinical and laboratory Each year alumni and friends submit nomina- research. tions for the award, which began in 1975 to Asher is a Jayhawk Society member of the honor the memory of longtime Association leader Alumni Association, and he has participated in Fred Ellsworth, c’22, whose service to KU set an the Rock Chalk Ball, the annual Greater Kansas example for future generations. Medallion win- City Chapter fundraising event. He also coordi- ners are selected by a committee of representa- nated class reunions for the School of Medicine tives from the chancellor’s office, the Alumni and Alumni Association, of which he is a life member. Endowment associations, and Kansas Athletics. He was a charter member of the KU Medical Asher retired Dec. 31 as University distin- Center Advancement Board, and has donated 50 guished professor of orthopedic surgery, conclud- percent of the royalties he received from the Isola ing 36 years at KU Medical Center. In November, implant to the KU Endowment Association and the University of Kansas Hospital dedicated the other nonprofit organizations. In addition to con- Marc A. Asher M.D. Comprehensive Spine Center, tributing to the new spine center, he supported or which offers diagnosis, pre- and post-operative raised funds for orthopedic research as well as care, and treatment, including physical therapy four endowed chairs at the School of Medicine. [“Pain, Pain, Go Away,” issue No. 1]. The center As a leadership donor with his wife, Ellie, he

38 | KANSAS ALUMNI assisted the KU First campaign steering New Generation Society, a community ◆ ◆ ◆ committee (2001-2006) for KU Endow- group affiliated with the Hall Center for ment and was a major donor to Cam- the Humanities, and they co-chaired the paign Kansas (1988-1992). He is a founding committee for the Friends of Annual ascension Chancellors Club member. the Hall Center. Don also volunteered for Asher was the 1999 School of Medi- the center’s advisory board. Together Chair, chair-elect, 5 directors cine Alumnus of the Year. The Native they received the Friends of the Hall began terms July 1 Sons and Daughters of Kansas honored Center Award. him as Distinguished Kansan of the Year The two also devote time to numerous ew officers now lead the in 2007. local and state organizations; for their Association’s national Board Johnston is executive vice president of leadership they also shared the 2009 Cit- of Directors, which also Intrust Bank’s Northeast Kansas region. izen of the Years Award from the welcomes five new members He joined Intrust in 2003, continuing his Lawrence Chamber of Commerce. thisN summer. banking career, which through the years McKinney retired in 2001 as president The Board in May elected Sue Shields also has included roles as part owner of of Martin Tractor Co. in Topeka. With Watson, d’75, Wichita, as the national Maupintour Inc., a travel company in her husband, Kent, assoc., she is an chair for the 2009-’10 year. She succeeds Lawrence, and Vinylplex Inc., a manufac- Alumni Association Life Member and a Tedde Tasheff, c’78, New York. The turing company in his hometown of member of the Presidents Club. She Board chose Jay Howard, b’79, Austin, Pittsburg. began her term on the national Board in Texas, as chair-elect. Watson is a long- He and his wife, Alice Ann Dowell 1995 and led the Association as national time leader of the Wichita KU alumni Johnston, assoc., are Life Members and chair from 2001 to 2002. She has chapter and a community volunteer. Jayhawk Society members of the Alumni assisted KU students as a ’Hawk to Tasheff is senior attorney with the Association, and they have participated ’Hawk mentor, and the McKinneys for National Center for Law and Economic in the Rock Chalk Ball. He is a member several years supported the Rock Chalk Justice. Howard is president of JDH of the Gold Medal Club. During his years Ball as benefactors. Investments. in Pittsburg, he coordinated the Associa- For KU Endowment, she is a trustee The Board also approved the nomina- tion’s Kansas Honors Program event, rec- and member of the Women Philanthro- tions of five alumni, whose five-year ognizing the top 10 percent of pists for KU advisory board. The McKin- terms began July 1. They are: high-school seniors. From 1986 to 1991, neys also belong to the Elizabeth Douglas Miller, b’71, l’74, Mission he was a member of the national Board Watkins Society and the Chancellors Hills. He is president and CPA of Miller, of Directors. He also served on the Club, and they were donors to KU First. Haviland & Ketter. He has served as a Adams Alumni Center Board of Gover- For Kansas Athletics, they are mem- benefactor for the Rock Chalk Ball, and nors from 1988 to 1994. In 1992, he bers of the Williams Educational Fund. he and his wife, Susan Edwards Miller, received the Mildred Clodfelter Alumni An anthropology major as a student, d’72, are Life Members of the Associa- Award for his sustained local volunteer she worked for the Museum of Anthro- tion. They are members of the Chancel- service to KU, and he has continued to pology and has continued her academic lors Club for KU Endowment and the volunteer for many KU organizations. interest most recently as a For KU Endowment, the Johnstons member of the KU Biodi- are members of the Elizabeth Watkins versity Institute advisory Society and the Chancellors Club. He board, this year concluding also assisted Campaign Kansas as a vol- her one-year term as chair. CHRIS LAZZARINO unteer on several committees. She has raised funds for the Elsewhere on campus, he has served institute’s educational, the Lied Center as president of the research and public pro- Friends of the Lied board, and he led a grams, and she has devoted corporate fund drive for the Spencer time to the Biodiversity Museum of Art. In addition, he has Institute’s Archaeology served on the boards of the Center for Research Center, working International Programs, the Friends of on its vast collections of the Theatre, the School of Fine Arts and cultural artifacts from the the KU Natural History Museum. Great Plains. The Johnstons also are members of In 2005, the McKinneys the Williams Educational Fund for volunteered for the Peace Kansas Athletics. They belong to the Corps in Kazakhstan. Howard, Watson and Tasheff

ISSUE 4, 2009 | 39 Association

g’84, Leawood, and Brad Korell, l’97, Austin, as new at-large members of the Executive Committee. Evans is managing partner of Pegasus Capital Management, and Korell is a partner in the law firm of Korell & Frohlin. Immediate Past Chair Joe Morris, b’61, Leawood, retired in May after eight years of service. Other retiring Board members are Robert Stephan, ’54, Lenexa, and Becky VanWyhe Thomas, e’86, Baldwin City.

◆ ◆ ◆ Dateline Wichita Assistant director continues ■ Falcon Ridge Golf Course in Lenexa was the setting for the Greater Kansas City Chapter’s expansion of KU’s presence annual Legends of KU Golf Tournament June 22. Among the 105 golfers were Jeff Morrison, b’99, g’05; men’s basketball coach Bill Self; Association President Kevin Corbett, c’88; and ynn Loveland joins the Association Lori Anderson Piening, b’92. part time as assistant director of Kansas programs-Wichita. As the first Association staff member with Williams Educational Fund for Kansas Richard Putnam, c’77, l’80, Omaha. anL office in Wichita, Loveland, ’76, will Athletics. He served on a four-person He is an attorney at Baird Holm, LLP, work alongside local alumni to plan pro- committee appointed by then-Interim and a Life Member of the Association. He gramming, fundraising and recruitment Athletics Director A. Drue Jennings, c’68, has represented KU as a volunteer for events. l’72, to raise funds for Kansas Athletics. many years, leading the Omaha Chapter Loveland opened the KU Endowment Debbie Foltz Nordling, d’79, Hugo- from 1988 to 1994. He also has helped Association office in Wichita and served as ton. She is an agency owner with State recruit students for KU. development officer for the KU School of Farm Insurance Cos. She and her hus- Larry D. Stoppel, c’73, Washington, Medicine-Wichita for eight years. Along band, Erick, c’79, are Life Members of Kan. He is an optometrist and owner of with Scott, c’54, and Carol Swanson the Association and members of the Pres- the Reeves & Stoppel optometry firm. Ritchie, d’54, and Kurt, d’75, and Sue idents Club. She is a board member for He and his wife, Nancy Tade Stoppel, Shields Watson, d’75, Loveland created the Southwest Kansas Chapter and a d’73, are Life and Jayhawk Society Mem- the Jayhawk Roundup. She will continue Kansas Honors Program volunteer and bers. They also belong to the Presidents to coordinate the annual event, which will contributor. She also advocates for KU as Club. He is president of the Flint Hills now fund Alumni Association programs. a member of Jayhawks for Higher Educa- Chapter, organizing numerous events in The event already has endowed two stu- tion. The Nordlings in 2007 received the the Manhattan area, and for years he has dent scholarships for Wichitans, one for a Mildred Clodfelter Alumni Award for volunteered for Jayhawks for Higher KU undergraduate and the second for a their many years of service to KU in the Education and the Kansas Honors Pro- third-year medical student. The 2009 Hugoton area. gram. In 2005, the Stoppels received the Roundup will be Oct. 17. Camille Bribiesca Platz, c’96, g’98, Mildred Clodfelter Alumni Award for Loveland attended Colorado State Uni- Dallas. She is a paralegal with American their sustained local service to KU. versity and KU before earning a bachelor’s Electric Power and an annual member of The five were selected in April by the degree in dental hygiene and a master’s the Association. She has volunteered for Nominating Committee from a group of degree in public administration from the the Dallas Chapter since 1998 and has alumni nominated by Association mem- University of Missouri-Kansas City. She served on the chapter board. She has bers. The committee presented the slate served as assistant hospital administrator hosted Jayhawk Generations picnics in May 15 for the entire Board’s approval. for the University of Kansas Hospital in Dallas to welcome new KU students, and Nominations of alumni to begin terms in Kansas City before transferring to Wichita she has assisted the Association and the 2010 will be accepted until March 1. to assist Dean Joe Meek at the School of Office of Admissions and Scholarships. The Board also chose Ray Evans, b’82, Medicine-Wichita.

40 | KANSAS ALUMNI Life Members

he Association thanks these Jayhawks, who became Life Members beginning The KU Alumni Association exists to strengthen the May 1 through June 24. For more infor- University of Kansas by informing, engaging and mation, please visit www.kualumni.org mobilizing the KU community. Tor call 800-584-2957. Your membership in the Association is the single most powerful way to make all of KU stronger, including the David D. Albers Samuel H. Jeter value of your own degree. Clayton W. Anderson Kimberly L. Johnson Mara L. Ankerholz Robyn Johnson Board of Directors DIRECTORS TO JULY 2012 Nikki Epley Frances Perkins Atkins Philip A. Jones Paul “Bud” Burke, b’56, Director of Reunion Erica J. Baker Joel D. Kammeyer CHAIR Lawrence Programs Emily A. Barth Katelin M. Karlin Sue Shields Watson, d’75, Ray D. Evans, b’82, g’84, Heath Peterson, d’04 Suzanne E. Baus Jennifer J. Keffer Wichita Leawood Vice President of Thomas A. Beckley Rebecca A. Labat Karen M. Humphreys, Alumni Programs c’70, l’73, Wichita Morgan D. Bell Phillip R. Linville CHAIR-ELECT James A. Trower, b’76, COMMUNICATIONS Kara Tan Bhala Boyd J. Littell Jay Howard, b’79, Austin, Texas Salina David Johnston, j’94, g’06 Carlie S. Bittel Adam G. & Jennifer Streb Director of Internet Scott A. Bond Lohoefener EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE DIRECTORS TO JULY 2013 Services and Marketing Jeffery K. Bowles Matthew K. & Gina Jeffrey P. Briley, d’74, Sheri Welter Hauck, b’81, Chris Lazzarino, j’86 Mathew D. Bradbury Rondinelli McBride Overland Park Arroyo Grande, California Associate Editor, Dylan D. Briggs Erika L. Meza-Zerlin Ray D. Evans, b’82, g’84, Jeff Kennedy, j’81, Wichita Kansas Alumni magazine Henry Menghini, c’87, William L. Bruner Alison L. Moore & Robert Leawood Jennifer Sanner, j’81 Pittsburg Sr VP for Communications Brittany N. Claassen P. Moore Jay Howard, b’79, Austin, Texas Ben Palen Jr., c’75, and Corporate Secretary Randy J. Clover Eric S. Murrell Bradley G. Korell, l’97, Denver, Colorado Susan Younger, f’91 Brian J. Cobb Randi M. Myers Austin, Texas Creative Director Dustin B. Cooke Kyle J. O'Brien Walter F. Riker III, c’70, DIRECTORS TO JULY 2014 Kelly M. Cure Lou J. Ochs j’78, Aurora, Illinois Douglas C. Miller, b’71, DONOR RELATIONS Matthew S. Davis Jacob M. Olson Tedde Tasheff, c’78, l’74, Mission Hills Ellen Chindamo Debbie Foltz Nordling, Mallory B. Deines Haley A. O'Neal New York, New York Senior Development d’79, Hugoton Director Edward C. Dickerson Ray E. Paine, Jr. Sue Shields Watson, d’75, Wichita Camille Bribiesca Platz, John M. & Kristen L. Adam B. J. Poole c’96, g’98, Dallas, Texas FINANCE Doswell Leigh A. Powers DIRECTORS TO JULY 2010 Richard Putnam, c’77, l’80, Jodi Nachtigal Paul T. Dundee Benjamin J. Renn E. Grant Larkin, c’78, Omaha, Nebraska Controller Meghan A. Easter Realle A. Roth Garden City Larry D. Stoppel, c’73, Dwight Parman Jodi Faustlin Kristin L. Salanski Melissa Rodgers Padgett, Washington Sr VP for Finance and Kristofer S. Finger Stacey E. Shields c’83, Lawrence Human Resources and Treasurer Teresa L. Fitzpatrick Annette R. Smith Walter F. Riker III, c’70, j’78, Aurora, Illinois Administrative Staff Heather M. Franklin Jacob W. Spinka Kevin J. Corbett, c’88 HOSPITALITY SERVICES Jeffrey M. Fried Christina A. Steffey DIRECTORS UNTIL 2011 President Bryan Greve Mark A. Frutiger Kimberly D. Stoff Jeffrey P. Briley, d’74, Sr VP for Hospitality Diane Gast Emily J. Strinden Overland Park ALUMNI CENTER Courtney Maree Gelvin Jill Carey Swanson & Tom Howard E. Cohen, b’79, Timothy E. Brandt, b’74 RECORDS Jennifer L. Gilmore Swanson Leawoo Director of Adams Alumni Bill Green Center Sr VP for Information Ryan Z. Good Michelle P. Tebo Jay Howard, b’79, Austin, Texas Services Tomas L. Griebling Daniel K. Wanamaker Bradley G. Korell, l’97, ALUMNI, STUDENT & Stefanie Shackelford Kelsey J. Grist Robin M. Webb Austin, Texas MEMBERSHIP PROGRAMS Vice President for Kristen L. Hageman Michael A. Wetter Curtis R. McClinton Jr., Michael Davis, d’84, g’91 Alumni Records Scott M. Haman Adam T. Whelan d’62, Kansas City, Missouri Sr VP for Alumni, Student Ali L. Hansen William E. Wyer Winifred S. Pinet, c’80, and Membership Programs Jennifer A. Hoffman Craig W. Young g’82, Plymouth, Michigan Rebecca J. Holmes

ISSUE 4, 2009 | 41 Class Notes BY KAREN GOODELL

1955 1958 1962 Geraldine Walterscheid Liebert, p’55, Charles McElhinney, c’58, m’62, Ronald Mastin, b’62, a retired pilot, recently received the Bowl of Hygeia teaches part time at Wesley Hospital of makes his home in Woodstock, Ga. award for outstanding community service Wichita and at the KU Medical School in Penny Purnell, c’62, s’66, lives in from the Kansas Pharmacists Association. Wichita. His home is in Lawrence. Philadelphia, where she’s a retired risk She is staff pharmacist at Plaza Pharmacy manager for Friends Hospital. in Coffeyville. 1959 Philip Aherne, f’59, a professor emeri- 1963 1957 tus at the University of California in Santa Merrill Downer, c’63, g’67, g’75, Norman Arnold, b’57, and his wife, Cruz, lives in Petrelle, Italy, where he PhD’77, retired last year from the political Iola, celebrated their 50th anniversary in enjoys painting. science faculty at Thiel College in May. They make their home in Overland Judith Anderson Glass, j’59, serves as Greenville, Pa. Park, where Norman works at HyVee. president of the Rotary Club of Berkeley, Robert Boyd, e’57, is a professor of Calif. She’s a residential real estate broker 1964 business at Nanyang Technological Uni- in Oakland. Frederick Flock, f’64, is senior versity in Singapore. designer for Bella Cucina in Sylvan Lake, Blaine Hollinger, c’57, m’62, a profes- 1961 Mich. sor of medicine, molecular virology and Alan Cohn, c’61, directs operations for Mary Grace Rising Nelson, d’64, does epidemiology at Baylor University, makes Airojet Charters in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. accounting and auditing for the state of his home in Houston. He lives in Plantation. California. She lives in Bakersfield.

1965 John Pound, c’65, is president of Com- mercial Realty Associates in Clayton, Mo. He lives in St. Louis. Robert Ritter, c’65, chairs Gray Ritter & Graham in St. Louis. He recently was named Plaintiff Injury Litigator of the Year by Best Lawyers.

1966 Leo Dreyer, c’66, l’74, is a partner in the Kansas City law firm of Shook, Hardy & Bacon. Gary Garrison, c’66, commutes from Kensington, Md., to Washington, D.C., where he’s assistant director of the Coun- cil for International Exchange of Scholars. Theodore Langrehr, e’66, makes his home in Mount Vernon, Wash., where he’s retired from a 37-year career with PACCAR. Patricia Cram Nelson, n’66, works as a community health consultant in Albu- querque, N.M. Mary Luhmann Roper, c’66, manages Hamilton Children’s Garden at Quail

42 | KANSAS ALUMNI

Class Notes

Botanical Gardens in Encinitas, Calif. She Grove, Ill. CEO and CFO of Southbridge Oph- and her husband, Michael, ’66, live in Nevin Waters, d’68, practices den- thalmic Associates. Oceanside. tistry in Olathe. He recently was named Kenneth Spain, d’70, l’73, is a share- Alumnus of the Year by the UMKC Den- holder in Seigfreid, Binham, Levy, Selzer 1967 tal Alumni Association. & Gee in Kansas City. Harry Baum, d’67, g’73, EdD’80, is president of Sharon Lane Health Services 1969 1971 in Shawnee. He lives in Weatherby Lake, David Grdina, g’69, PhD’71, is a pro- David Anderson, j’71, is a principal in Mo. fessor of radiation and cellular oncology DCA Management Consulting Services in Constance Myers Gaston, j’67, man- at the University of Chicago. He and Atlanta. ages Comcare Community Mental Health Judith Moothart Grdina, ’69, live in Thomas Gilcrest, d’71, directs design Center in Wichita. Naperville. and build services for BlueScope Con- Kenneth Mathiasmeier, e’67, g’73, is a Ellen Winkler Slicker, d’69, g’70, is a struction in Kansas City. research staff member for the Institute professor of psychology at Middle Ten- William Mulroy Jr., g’71, is assistant for Defense Analyses in Alexandria, Va. nessee State University and has a private vice president of assessment for Ameri- He lives in Manassas. psychotherapy practice in Murfreesboro, can College in Bryn Mawr, Pa. He lives in where she and her husband, Richard, Ambler. 1968 d’70, make their home. Priscilla Reckling, c’71, g’75, directs Sterling May, c’68, recently was the office of grants and research at the named the Leet Distinguished Chair of 1970 KU School of Nursing in Kansas City. Biological Science at Breanu University in Ronald Adams, e’70, g’76, is chief of Michele Raymond Williams, d’71, is Gainesville, Ga., where he’s also director the railroads and harbor section of the assistant director of the disability center of the Anne Thomas Bioscience Center. Wisconsin Department of Transportation at Florida International University in Jacquelyn Thoroughman, d’68, g’71, is in Madison. Miami. dean of social science and education at Richard Irwin, c’70, m’75, lives in Waubunsee Community College in Sugar Southbridge, Mass., where he’s president, 1972 Casey Eike, c’72, g’78, s’02, serves as a clinical social worker with the U.S. Army and at Catholic Charities Hospice. She lives in Overland Park.

1973 Jack Barnes, p’73, is a pharmacist at Walgreens in Hutchinson. Lyle Davis, b’73, lives in Cape Girardeau, Mo., where he’s vice president of investments with Wachovia Securities. Stephen Nicholson, c’73, directs Trans Caribbean Trust in Playa del Carmen, Mexico.

1974 Janet Smith Calkins, c’74, recently earned her doctorate in veterinary medicine from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. James Doepke, d’74, directs educational outreach for Conn-Selmer. He lives in Waukesha, Wis., and is attempting to perform the national anthem on his trumpet at every Major League Baseball stadium in America. Stephen Hadley, d’74, serves as a safety director with the U.S. Army in

44 | KANSAS ALUMNI ISSUE 4, 2009 | 45 Class Notes

Colorado Springs. in Thessaloniki and at the University of Overland Park law offices of Smith Coon- Delmer Harris, e’74, is senior lead net- Athens in Greece. She lives in New York rod. work engineer with Honeywell Federal City, where she’s a playwright. Janet Simmons Crowther, g’77, works Manufacturing and Technologies in Carol Scott, c’75, g’79, PhD’96, is exec- as a CPA with Busby Smith & Ford in Kansas City. utive director of Missouri Child Care Wichita, where her husband, Philip, l’76, David Hunke, j’74, recently was named Resource in St. Louis. g’76, has a law practice. publisher of USA Today. He lives in Bloomfield Hills, Mich. 1976 1978 Clayton Koppes, PhD’74, is a professor Cathy Riffey Dauner, d’76, teaches at Mary Courtney, d’78, teaches math, lit- of American history at Oberlin College in Rockhills Elementary School in Mankato, erature and history at Rolla Junior High Oberlin, Ohio. where she and her husband, Lyle, p’76, School in Rolla. make their home. He owns Dauner Phar- Cindy Brunker McClannahan, c’78, 1975 macies. l’81, is a shareholder in Seigfreid, Bing- Kevin Carver, b’75, is a senior attorney Terry Neil Loofbourrow, n’76, man- ham, Levy, Selzer & Gee. She lives in with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. ages Blue Cross of Idaho in Meridian. She Prairie Village. in Dallas. He lives in Plano. lives in Boise. Clifton Haas, e’75, commutes from Thomas Miller, c’76, owns Blue Collar MARRIED Overland Park to Grandview, Mo., where Consulting Services in Lawrence, where Joleen Schovee, d’78, to Everett “Bud” he’s vice president of engineering with he and Lynne Wattenbarger Miller, c’72, Patterson, Feb. 15 in Greenwood, Colo. Growth Industries. e’75, make their home. They live in Colorado Springs. Jack Mocnik, m’75, practices diagnostic Timothy Watson, j’76, is president of and interventional radiology at St. John Virginia Textbook Exchange and Watson 1979 Medical Center in Tulsa, Okla. Associates in Midlothian, Va. Mark Hopkins, b’79, manages sales for Catherine Gaffney Rogers, ’75, BJJS. He lives in Olathe. recently received a Fulbright award as 1977 David Jenkins, b’79, owns FatBoy writer-in-residence at Aristotle University Brett Coonrod, l’77, is a partner in the Capital in Mount Olive, N.J. He and his

46 | KANSAS ALUMNI wife, Linda, live in Flanders. Cary, N.C. He lives in Raleigh. ment engineer for Ameren. He lives in Alan Shaw, c’79, is managing director Michael Stucky, b’80, is division presi- Columbia, Mo. of EPIC in Atlanta, where he and Virginia dent of Pulte Building Systems in Tolle- Mark Johnson, j’81, manages regional Myers Shaw, d’85, make their home. son, Ariz. sales for Kansas Bankers Surety. He lives Lionel Tipton, j’79, is an associate pro- in Littleton, Colo. fessor of journalism and mass communi- 1981 cation at Dodge City Community College. Walter Cofer, l’81, is a partner in the 1982 Kansas City law firm of Shook, Hardy & David Joslin, b’82, c’82, successfully 1980 Bacon. reached the summit of Tanzania’s Mount Stephen “Tony” Edson, c’80, is princi- Ali Fakhrzad, g’81, lives in Chester- Kilimanjaro in January. He lives in Chevy pal of SAEdson, LLC in Arlington, Va. field, Mo., where he’s an executive enter- Chase, Md., where he is an executive vice Michael James, p’80, manages Com- prise architect for IBM. president at Perot Systems Corporation. passionate Care Pharmacy for Biologics in Gary Hellman, c’81, is a nuclear equip- Kevin Kelso, b’82, is president and

Profile BY CHRIS LAZZARINO

Texas doctors’ new leader of regents of Texas Woman’s University cites health care access at Denton. “I think we need advocacy,” he says.

“It’s important for our profession and WILLIAM FLEMING DR. COURTESY s he begins his term as presi- important for our patients. I’m commit- dent of the Texas Medical Asso- ted to it, and you have to make time.” ciation, Houston neurologist Fleming grew up in Memphis, Tenn. William H. Fleming III empha- He played alto saxophone, bassoon and Asizes the primary goal he intends to pro- piano, and a music teacher who had mote for the 44,000-member society he earned his doctorate at KU encouraged now leads: access to health care. Fleming to become a Jayhawk. “The health system in this country is Once on Mount Oread, Fleming broken and needs to be fixed,” says majored in zoology and joined ROTC; Fleming, c’67. “About 40 million Ameri- after serving four years of active duty at cans are uninsured or underinsured. McConnell Air Force Base in Wichita, he They use emergency rooms for their pri- decided to attend medical school at St. ■ Neurologist Bill Fleming has been involved in mary doctor, and that’s expensive. It’s Louis University. the KU Black Alumni Chapter since its incep- not efficient, either. Access to care is the He chose neurology as a specialty tion. “Being a chapter of the Alumni Association biggest problem we’re facing.” after his second year, and continued on keeps us connected and engaged,” he says, “and Fleming was installed in May as the at two institutions of international pres- we get the support of the University.” TMA’s 144th president. He concedes tige: McGill University, in Montreal, and that it will mean more time spent away the Mayo Clinic, in Rochester, Minn. from his practice—he’s a partner with There he developed a passion for sailing, two others in a Houston neurology so when the opportunity arose in 1979 medicines. We’ve had a real revolution group—yet he has spent his entire career to join a Mayo alumnus in Houston—on in neurology.” volunteering for professional associa- Galveston Bay and a quick sail from the A sailor, skier and enthusiastic sup- tions and Texas educational institutions. Gulf of Mexico—Fleming accepted. porter of Houston’s professional sports Among numerous positions, Fleming “Years ago, even when I went into neu- teams, opera and symphony, Fleming’s has been president of five local, state and rology, we didn’t have a lot of tools and biggest passion is still his work: “I like national boards and medical societies. we didn’t have a lot of medicines,” he interacting with people. I like seeing He also is clinical assistant professor at says. “Stroke patients had no alternatives; challenging cases. I like to see people the University of Texas Medical School at now we’ve got clot-busting drugs. We’ve get well. Houston and is a member of the board got new Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s “I just like what I do.”

ISSUE 4, 2009 | 47 Class Notes managing principal of Dreyer & Kelso in Seigfreid, Bingham, Levy, Selzer & Gee in Houston. Shawnee Mission. He lives in Overland Kansas City. He lives in Prairie Village. Annette Dye, b’83, directs financial Park. Elise Stephens, c’82, works on the systems for Russell Stover Candies in David Reinfelds, e’82, commutes from business continuity team at Centene Kansas City. She and her husband, Alvarado, Texas, to Fort Worth, where Corp. in St. Louis. Ramon Ramirez, c’83, live in Olathe. he’s a systems engineering principal for Stephen Stoops, m’82, recently Martha Jenkins, j’83, recently was Lockheed Martin. became chief medical officer for Caron- appointed acting general counsel for the Rebecca Rodriguez, e’82, manages delet Health. He lives in Mission Hills. District of Columbia Alcoholic Beverage polyproplyene production and inventory Control Board. She lives in Washington, for Chevron Phillips Chemical Co. in 1983 D.C. Houston. Barry Dull, e’83, is a chemical and Robert Wood, ’83, is president of Paul Schepers, l’82, is a shareholder in petroleum client executive with IBM in Wood-Dulohery Insurance in Parsons.

Profile BY JENNIFER JACKSON SANNER

Pride in family, hometown Indianapolis unveiled the “Boom Boom adds zest to business Dog,” adorned with a fried egg and cheese and named for a high-school hiladelphia owns the cheese buddy who suggested the concoction. steak. Buffalo brags on wings. The regular menu includes 10 options Indianapolis? If Brent Joseph has plus the “build your own” from ingredi- his way, his hometown of Indy ents that include four kinds of mustard, willP gain national fame for its King celery salt, sauerkraut and other David Dogs. delights. Although competition is keen among The choices pay homage to Chicago cities claiming to be titans of hot dogs, and New York City, but the quarter- pizza and barbecue, Joseph, j’98, has his- pound, kosher, fire-engine red, all-beef tory on his side. For more than 40 years, dog is what Joseph hopes will become Indianapolis connoisseurs could buy Indy’s signature. “It’s a garlic, pepper, King David hot dogs, created by his smoky flavor,” he says. “It tastes grandfather and great-uncle, in local gro- like meat. Some hot dogs taste like cery stores. Today the dogs themselves Play-Doh.” are identical, but they don’t come in Joseph’s grandfather, William Hene, ■ Honoring tradition, Joseph only tweaked the packages from the grocery’s meat sec- an attorney, immigrated to the United tion. Instead, Joseph and his staff serve States from Germany with his brother, King David logo created by his grandfather and them sizzling from the grill in poppy Paul, a butcher, and unveiled their secret great-uncle. On warm days, dog lovers stand in seed buns and slathered with an eye- recipe in the 1940s. Grocery sales of the line for two hours outside his downtown store. popping array of toppings. hot dogs continued until the early 1990s. In fall 2006, Joseph opened a 28-seat Joseph left his marketing career to lunch counter in downtown Indianapo- continue his family tradition from behind only the German originals. After a transla- lis. In the cheerful, no-fuss setting, the a grill, heeding advice from his wife, Han- tor deciphered the recipe, Joseph found a hot dog, nicknamed “an Indy original” nah, an Indy native who grew up with four-generation family owned meat com- by his forebears, is the main attraction; the King David brand. But first he had to pany, Usinger’s of Milwaukee, to re-create walls full of testimonials from the local search for the recipe, which he found the dog. Then came the critical test: A press hail the return of the King David stowed in his great-aunt Margot’s attic. tasting for the family, including Margot brand. Years before, after an employee had and his grandmother, Wally. “It was “This is not a heart-healthy menu, and stolen the recipe and won a prize at a exactly the same,“ he recalls with pride. we don’t hide it,” says Joseph, who for local food fair, the Hene brothers had “The taste and the smell were just as this year’s NCAA Sweet 16 games in torn up all the English copies and left everyone remembered.”

48 | KANSAS ALUMNI 1984 Charlotte Burriss Cool, j’84, works for McCormick Co. in Kansas City. April Wilber Hackathorn, j’84, does freelance copy editing in Prescott, Ariz. Jeffrey Murphy, b’84, is senior accounting manager at Kansas City Life Insur- ance Co. He lives in Olathe. Mark Smith, m’84, works as a hospital- ist diplomate at North Metro Medical Center and at HealthCare Odyssey. He lives in Jacksonville, Ark.

1985 David Danner, j’85, works for Keystone Freight Corp. in Greensboro, N.C. Joel Davidson, c’85, manages audit and assessment for Koch Pipeline and is a geologist for Tank Management Services in Wichita. He lives in Andover.

1986 Kristy Lantz Astry, j’86, works as senior technical writer at McKesson Provider Technologies in Westminster, Colo. Douglas Frigon, f’86, directs the tax- able fixed-income sales group at Stone &

ISSUE 4, 2009 | 49

Youngberg Holdings in San Francisco. 1989 1990 He lives in Lafayette. Gary Allen, PhD’89, serves as a U.S. David Folkers, m’90, practices surgery Col. Marilyn Jenkins, c’86, is stationed Army program manager in Orlando, Fla. in Austin, Texas. at Bagram AFB, Afghanistan, where Louis Fete, g’89, is state director for Eric Horstman, a’90, recently was she’s the theatre language manager for the Florida Department of Health’s Divi- named principal at Corgan Associates in U.S. Forces Afghanistan. In September, sion of Disability Determinations in Tal- Dallas. she will move to Fort Meade, Md., to lahassee. Mark McCormick, ’90, former colum- become vice commander of the 70th Janice Weddle Gales, n’89, coordi- nist at the Wichita Eagle, recently Intelligence, Surveillance and nates quality improvement for Oklahoma became executive director of the Kansas Reconnaissance Wing. University Health Services. She lives in African American Museum. Jess Stewart, ’86, owns Stewart Edmond. Funeral Home in Wamego, where he and John Love, e’89, is a research engineer 1991 Jennifer Huggins Stewart, c’86, live. with NASA Ames Research Center in Stephen Potts, c’91, practices law in Moffett Field, Calif. He lives in Santa Des Plaines, Ill. 1987 Clara. Thomas Thompson, c’91, g’93, is pres- Tiger Craig, c’87, manages human Brock Lusby, e’89, works as an option ident of Entanglement Media in Dallas. resources at A Box 4 U in Wichita. manager with Boeing. He lives in Everett, Wash. 1992 1988 Melanie Sanders Meier, c’89, a U.S. Les Eisner, c’92, recently was named Mark Hudson, c’88, g’90, is executive Army Reserves lieutenant colonel, is a vice president of corporate communica- director of the Vermont Historical Soci- senior military analyst for Systems Stud- tions at Lifetime Networks. He and his ety in Barre. ies and Simulations in Leavenworth. wife, Julie, live in El Segundo, Calif., with Melinda Mujica Rowland, c’88, works Mark von Waaden, b’89, l’95, g’95, is their daughter, Aisley. as a benefits specialist at USD 457 in chairman and CEO of Rolling Dough, Laura Russell, j’92, c’92, works as a Garden City. Ltd. in Austin, Texas. programmer at KU’s Biodiversity Insti-

ISSUE 4, 2009 | 51 Class Notes

tute. She lives in Lawrence. Amy Lucas Whitaker, j’92, is an artist in Tulsa, Okla.

1993 Staci Miller Cooper, l’93, practices law with Shook, Hardy & Bacon in Kansas City. Laura Dillon Engelland, e’93, works as an electrical engineer and lighting designer for Engineering Consultants in Hutchinson. Theresa Callahan James, ’93, wrote a novel, April & Oliver, which recently was published by Grand Central Press. She lives in Boonton, N.J. Patti Mason Parks, p’93, works as a pharmacist at Bi-Mart in Walla Walla, Wash. Peggy Ridge, ’93, wrote Beyond the Horizon: One Can Never Appreciate the Sunshine Until After the Storm, a collection of poems, which recently was published by Xilbris. She lives in Wichita. Darin Stephens, c’93, lives in Toronto, where he’s senior regional director of The Gap Inc. Scott Weisenberg, c’93, directs corporate affairs for Tiffiny Decorating Co. in Chicago.

MARRIED Matthew All, c’93, and Ashley Anstaett, c’04, j’04, Jan. 24 in KU’s Dan- forth Chapel. He’s chair of the Kansas Lottery Gaming Facility Review Board, and she’s communications director in the Kansas Attorney General’s Office.They live in Lawrence.

1994 Michael Park, c’94, PhD’02, m’02, recently received the William P. Van Wagenen Fellowship from the American Association of Neurological Surgeons. He is completing a neurosurgery residency at the Warren Alpert Medical School at Brown University and Rhode Island Hos- pital. He lives in East Greenwich, R.I.

1995 Kimberly Bland, c’95, is senior director of research and development at Proteon Therapeutics. She lives in Kansas City.

52 | KANSAS ALUMNI Dear KU... Fill out a class note at www.kualumni.org and tell us what you have been up to!

Miles Cooper, c’95, manages product Jeffrey Nichols, c’95, l’99, is a partner Under 40 list, which honors the region’s support at AllscriptsMisysin Raleigh, N.C. and shareholder of Wallace, Saunders, most talented and successful young com- Jennifer Ellis, p’95, works as a pharma- Austin, Brown & Enochs in Overland munity and business leaders. cist at Wal-Mart in Topeka. She lives in Park. Oskaloosa. Jennifer Ford Reedy, c’95, commutes BORN TO: Angela Kokoruda, c’95, j’95, manages from Falcon Heights, Minn., to St. Paul, Molly Harris Laughlin, j’95, and Jeffrey, accounts for Thomson Reuters in Over- where she’s vice president for strategy son, Andy, Oct. 11 in Olathe. land Park. and knowledge for the Minnesota Com- Scott Kolath, e’95, is an engineer with munity Foundation and the St. Paul 1996 Landmark Contract Management. He Foundation. She was named to the Min- Stephen Fannelli, c’96, is senior direc- lives in St. Charles, Mo. neapolis/St. Paul Business Journal’s 40 tor of ticket operations for the Oakland

Profile BY CHRIS LAZZARINO

General disarms stigma mander with the 82nd Airborne when he was told in spring 1988 that he of combat’s fierce stress needed to prepare for a hiatus from the infantry. He’d been designated for ARMY U.S. COURTESY xplosions tore through his sleep, service as a public affairs officer; first, vivid memories of combat in though, he had to find a journalism Ramadi and Fallujah rattling his school. dreams. After 27 months scan- Rejection letters piled up. ningE roadsides for bombs and snipers, “They asked for my published works, he couldn’t stand to ride in a car. Col. but I had no published works. I had Gary S. Patton knew he needed help been in the Army for 10 years, jumping and, like many veterans in the 2nd out of airplanes.” Brigade of the U.S. Army’s 2nd Infantry With its history of working closely Division—the unit he commanded for a with the Army to help train mid-career year at the height of the Iraq war—Patton officers, KU eagerly said yes. Here Patton stood in line to see a counselor. discovered a zest for journalism and, as Now, since his April promotion to a campus news editor, talent for organiz- brigadier general, Patton, g’90, is using ing a newsroom. “I had my own little the power of rank to encourage all com- platoon of reporters,” he recalls, laugh- ■ Brig. Gen. Gary Patton, a brigade combat veterans struggling with stress to ing, “and I pretty much ran them like my mander and division-level chief of staff in Iraq, follow his lead. airborne company.” cites post-traumatic stress disorder as a “signa- “Everybody is affected differently, Patton spent two years as a public ture injury” of the war: “PTSD is not my per- but the common thing is everybody is information officer before rejoining the sonal campaign, but I am trying to contribute as affected,” Patton says from his office in infantry in 1993. In 2002 he took com- a general officer, leading by example.” the Pentagon, where he is the Joint mand of the brigade he would lead into Staff’s director for manpower and per- combat two years later. sonnel. “In years past, that might not be “Of course you’re nervous, but I also as Patton helped load him for evacuation. something your toughest soldier or felt good about him being there,” Patton’s words of comfort were the last marine would be willing to share or talk Lawrence writer Steve Buckner, g’90, Unruh heard, and the general now wears about or even do. So I’ve started talking says of his J-School buddy’s combat tour. a bracelet engraved with Unruh’s name. about it, and other general officers and “I knew those serving under him were in “Nobody is immune from stress. You senior noncomissioned officers have very good hands.” have to deal with it, for yourself and for started talking about it, too.” Among 2nd Brigade’s 69 fallen sol- your family. The first big step is seeking A 1979 graduate of the U.S. Military diers, one has a lasting grip on Patton’s help. We have to overcome this stigma Academy, Patton was a company com- memory: Spc. Robert Unruh, who died and take care of ourselves.”

ISSUE 4, 2009 | 53 Class Notes

Athletics. He lives in San Ramon, Calif. wood, where she joins two brothers, live in Cockeysville, Md., where Stefanie Susan Anderson Leonard, d’96, Tyler, 5, and Nicholas, 3. is a professional soprano soloist and PhD’08, recently was named principal of ensemble singer. Pembroke Hill Middle School in Kansas 1997 City. She and her husband, Matthew, Brian Sager, c’97, recently was pro- BORN TO: c’96, live in Fairway. moted to senior associate and partner at Jennifer Joseph Johnson, j’97, and Andrew Lewin, c’96, is principal of the Sage Landscape Architecture in Tucson, Scott, son, Charles Waitman, Feb. 11 in Podesta Group in Washington, D.C. Ariz. Denver, where he joins two sisters, Jane, 3, and Caroline, 2. BORN TO: MARRIED Craig Novorr, b’96, and Alyson, Stefanie Moore, f’97, g’99, to Todd 1998 daughter, Ava Lillian, March 16 in Lea- Keister, March 13 in Maui, Hawaii. They Natalie Bennett Brown, h’98, g’08,

Profile BY WHITNEY ERIKSEN

Wichita museum finds a more aggressive role in YOUNGER SUSAN leader in former critic campus activism and co- founded a student group, ynamic newspaper columns Black Men of Today, to fight betray Mark McCormick’s per- for improved recruitment sonal philosophy. As a promi- and retention of minority nent writer for the Wichita students. DEagle, he fought apathy with each care- After college, he took a fully chosen word. job at the Louisville, Ky., “I’ve always had a very idealistic view Courier-Journal and of journalism—that it’s a public trust,” learned the trade in a fast- he says. paced environment. After Now, as executive director for a five years, he moved back ■ “It’s not like journalism, which is a love that I’ll never get museum in need of help, he faces chal- to Wichita and joined the over,” Mark McCormick says. “But it’s the history, and the lenges from the inside. Eagle, eventually earning a people I’ve met here already and the stories they can tell McCormick, j’90, credits a KU minor- regular column. about their own lives and this town and the state. I’m pretty ity journalism camp given by pioneer “From the first moment, much in heaven.” black journalist Samuel Adams for influ- I was trying to push for encing his career choice. issues,” he says. “It was at the camp that I decided this One person targeted in his column director in April. “Now I will fundraise, be is what I’m going to do,” he says. “This is was a past executive director of the the face of the museum, do administra- where I’m going to major and this is what Kansas African American Museum. tive duties and protect the collection.” I’m going to do with my life.” McCormick wrote that the museum’s His instant credibility as a public voice McCormick, at the time a junior in leadership should be more aggressive in appealed to the museum board. He also high school, met KU professor Susanne pursuing works by the late Gordon can develop and sustain relationships Shaw, d’61, g’67, who helped him find Parks, a Fort Scott native, and ultimately with fundraisers, and his natural passion necessary scholarship money, advised helped Wichita State University acquire for history and humanity motivates him him once he got to KU and became a life- the materials. to make improvements. long mentor, earning the nickname Now, after a 14-year career at the Gwynne Birzer, the museum board Mama Shaw. Eagle, McCormick leads the museum he president, first knew McCormick as a As a KU junior, McCormick worked criticized. critic, but she quickly grew fond of him long hours at the University Daily “I went from writing columns to and became convinced he was the person Kansan, covering campus news and essentially being CEO for an organiza- for the job. sports. However, lacking the freedom to tion that’s really cash-starved,” says “Who better to improve an organiza- speak his mind, he soon left the paper for McCormick, who became executive tion,” she asks, “than the critic of it?”

54 | KANSAS ALUMNI and her husband, David, recently moved to London with their children, Hudson, 4, and Audrey, 2. Neal Dolbeare, c’98, is an investment advice consultant with American Century Investments in Kansas City. Melvin Dunston, j’98, directs sales for Residence Inn by Marriott in Duluth, Ga. Krista Engelmann, c’98, p’02, is a clinical pharmacist at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago. Brian O’Mara, c’98, is an associate with Coughlin Stoia Geller Rudman & Robbins in San Diego.

BORN TO: Lauren Elpern Love, b’98, and Chris, son, Charles Stephen, Jan. 3 in Chicago, where Lauren is a private banker with J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. Joseph, c’98, and Holly Oglesbee Yager, c’00, g’04, PhD’09, daughter, Olive Jeanne, March 12 in Wichita, where she joins a brother, Joseph, 4. Joseph is a public-affairs associate at Wichita State Uni- versity, and Holly is a school psychologist for USD 259.

1999 Jennifer Bouwkamp-Memmer, c’99, g’01, commutes from Columbia, Mo., to Fulton, where she is a postdoctoral resident at Fulton State Hospital. Matthew Lacey, e’99, manages mis- sions for NASA in Houston. Joshua Mermis, c’99, recently was elected a fellow in the Texas Bar Associa- tion. He is an associate with Johnson Spalding Doyle West & Trent in Hous- ton. Mark Murray, c’99, teaches social studies and coaches soccer at East High School in Kansas City. Nicholas Walker, b’99, is site IT manager for Flint Hills Resources in Port Frederick Patton, l’00, practices law in Christopher Willits, c’00, is a senior Arthur, Texas. Topeka, where he owns Topeka Escrow associate scientist at Elan Pharmaceuti- Juliann Crider Wisbrock, j’99, is vice Service. cals in San Francisco. He lives in Half president of Competitive Insights in Kim Windholz Spletstoser, b’00, is a Moon Bay. Chicago. clinical research associate at United BioSource Corp. She and her husband, BORN TO: 2000 Jared, g’03, PhD’05, live in Collegeville, Kerrie Crites Greenfelder, e’00, and Douglas Klepper, d’00, works as an Pa. Matt, son, Carter James, March 2 in Albu- independent contractor in Stillwater, Brian Tongier, c’00, works as a supervi- querque, N.M., where Kerrie is a chemical Okla. sor at Vangent in Lawrence. engineer for Camp Dresser & McKee.

ISSUE 4, 2009 | 55 Class Notes

Amy Dyksterhuis Morrison, d’00, Allen Press. manager and insurance agent at AGFS g’03, and Nicholas, daughter, Lily Mar- Sara Nutt, j’02, to David Gagne, March in Shawnee. She lives in Topeka. garet, Feb. 20 in Memphis, Tenn., where 7 in Chicago, where they live. Sara works Jana Smoot White, j’03, c’03, she joins a brother, Peter. for AIU Holdings. practices law with Fowler Measle & Bell in Lexington, Ky. 2001 2003 Brandon Bauer, d’01, l’06, is an associ- Amanda Duling-McMahon, c’03, is a MARRIED ate with the Kansas City law firm of team leader at St. Luke’s Hospital in Sheree Tinder, l’03, to Christopher Shook, Hardy & Bacon. Kansas City. Hale, Jan. 20 in Quintana Roo, Mexico. Debra Berkowitz, c’01, works as a Anthony Gonzalez, e’03, works as a They live in Arlington, Va., where they communications specialist at Goodwill software engineer at Cerner. He lives in both practice law. Industries. She lives in Wheaton, Ill. Kansas City. Melitta George, f’01, practices law Margaret Porter Larsen, h’03, BORN TO: with Briggs & Morgan in Minneapolis, g’05, lives in Dallas, and is an occupa- Lora Wedd Hardesty, d’03, g’08, and Minn. tional therapist at Baylor University Scott, son, Hudson Timber, Jan. 23 in Jimmy Wordsworth, c’01, manages Medical Center. Lawrence. quality at Ford Motor Co. in Shawnee. Jacob Salzman, b’03, works as a financial advisor for RBC Wealth Management 2004 BORN TO: in Leawood. He lives in Olathe. Rashida Banerjee, g’04, PhD’09, is an Scott, e’01, g’03, and Shelley Prier Emily Childs Shipley, c’03, is an institu- assistant professor of special education at Bideau, n’01, son, Ethan Hale, March 17 tional researcher at Northern Kentucky the University of Northern Colorado in in Overland Park. Scott is a managing University, where her husband, Frank, Greeley. consultant at eVergance, and Shelley is a d’03, is an assistant athletic trainer. They Bryce Canfield, b’04, lives in Pasadena, nurse at Children’s Mercy Hospital. live in Edgewood. Calif., where he’s a national account execu- Matthew Burton, c’01, and Keri, son, Kara Walters, c’03, works as a branch tive with UnitedHealthCare. Jacob Wayne, Dec. 17 in Chaska, Minn. Matthew is a sales representative for Advanced Imaging Solutions in Min- netonka.

2002 Natasha Andrews, f’02, works in casino marketing at the MGM Mirage in Las Vegas. Julia Gilmore Gaughan, c’02, l’08, is an associate at Seigfreid, Bingham, Levy, Selzer & Gee in Kansas City. James Landavazo, c’02, manages hub operations for Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway in Los Angeles. Patrick O’Bryan, b’02, l’05, practices law with Posinelli Shughart in Kansas City. Chandler Poore, b’02, is a senior con- tracting data analyst for UnitedHealth Group in Overland Park. Marco Villa, g’02, g’05, g’06, works as a mission operations lead at SpaceX. He lives in Newport Beach, Calif.

MARRIED Hilary Branscum, c’02, to Tyler Edwards, Feb. 21 in Honolulu. They live in Lawrence, where they both work at

56 | KANSAS ALUMNI Jennifer Knight Cross, f’04, is art Melissa is a Web and print designer for director and marketing specialist at Pen- the KU Endowment Association. Chris ton Media in Overland Park. works for Prairie Capital Management in School Codes Letters that follow Stephen Doyel, a’04, works as an asso- Prairie Village. names indicate the school from which alumni ciate at HKS in Dallas. earned degrees. Numbers show their class Sean O’Grady, j’04, directs promo- 2005 years. tions for Clear Channel Radio in Arturo Benavente Alva, e’05, g’09, a School of Architecture and Tampa, Fla. works as a project development engineer Urban Design Glen Sears, c’04, recently was pro- for ConocoPhillips in Houston. b School of Business moted to a staff position on the U.S. Kevin McWey, c’05, is regional c College of Liberal Arts and House Financial Services Committee. He sales director for Metavante Corp. in Sciences d School of Education lives in Washington, D.C. Milwaukee. e School of Engineering John Nugent, b’05, lives in Chicago, f School of Fine Arts MARRIED where he’s vice president of Jones Lang g Master’s Degree David Borys, e’04, g’09, and Diane LaSalle Hotels. h School of Allied Health j Basore, e’08, April 11 in San Diego, Anthony Santaularia, c’05, is presi- School of Journalism l School of Law where they live. He’s a project engineer dent of SansMobile. He lives in Kansas m School of Medicine for General Atomics Aeronautical Sys- City. n School of Nursing tems, and she’s a lighting designer for Wayne Simien, c’05, recently retired p School of Pharmacy ILA Zammit Engineers. from playing basketball in Spain and PharmD School of Pharmacy s Emily Fitch, c’04, m’08, to Jed moved to Lawrence, where he is presi- School of Social Welfare DE Doctor of Engineering Killough, March 7 in Scottsdale, Ariz. dent of Called To Greatness and is DMA Doctor of Musical Arts They live in Roeland Park, and Emily is involved with youth ministry at Morn- EdD Doctor of Education a pediatric resident at Children’s Mercy ingstar Church. PhD Doctor of Philosophy Hospital. (no letter) Former student assoc. Christopher Long, g’04, and Melissa MARRIED Associate member of the Alumni Association Meyer, f’04, April 25 in KU’s Danforth Lindsay Eplee, s’05, to Dave Vance, Chapel. They live in Lawrence, where Aug. 2 in Atchison. They live in Kansas

ISSUE 4, 2009 | 57 Class Notes

Alison Fetter, p’06, is manager of pharmacy services at the Kansas City Cancer Center. 2009 KU Retirees Nicole Hall, d’06, serves as a first lieutenant with the U.S. Army Medical Spe- KU faculty and staff retirees with at least 10 years of service cialist Corp. in San Antonio. Catherine Schwabauer, g’06, is direc- (Name/Years of Service/Title/Department): Anna L. Hines, 32, director, Informa- tor of the Engineering Career Services tion Services Center at KU. Susan Bashinski, 14, assistant research Susan Holt, 15, assistant dean, Karrie Shogren, PhD’06, lives in professor, Bureau of Child Research Edwards Campus Austin, where she’s an assistant professor Barry Baysinger, 14, professor, Carl Kurt, 27, professor, Civil, Envi- of special education at the University of Business ronmental, & Architectural Engineering Texas. Christine Berger, 31, assistant special- Carol Leffler, 39, business manager, ist, Pharmacy Practice University Relations & Communica- 2007 Jack Brown, 33, professor, Molecular tions Christina Billiard-Pribula, l’07, is a Biosciences Lynne Lipsey, 20, program manager, trust officer at Commerce Trust Co. in Robert Brown, 46, professor, Continuing Education Leawood. Mathematics James Long, 10, director for outreach Christopher Bysrom, j’07, lives in Maurice L. Bryan Jr., 10, associate vice development, Continuing Education Chicago, where he’s interactive account provost, Office of the Provost Larry Lovell, 31, assistant director, manager for Goble & Associates. Louis Burmeister, 43, professor, Information Services Tait Jeter, f’07, works as a graphic Mechanical Engineering James McCauley, 32, assistant scien- designer with Midwest Graphics in Helen Carr, 54, manager, Financials tist, Kansas Geological Survey Lawrence. and Enrollment, Edwards Campus Rex Martin, 41, professor, Philosophy Matthew Manda, ’07, recently became Glenda Carter, 39, assistant director, James Neeley, 31, librarian, Libraries a district representative in the Hays office Student Information Assistance Laura Raymond, 20, administrative of Rep. Jerry Moran, R-Kan. Ronna Chamberlain, 14, program assistant, Edwards Campus Andrew Marsh, b’07, is an accountant associate, Social Welfare Gaylord Richardson, 34, associate for the U.S. General Services Administra- Nancy Chien, 28, database administra- professor, Architecture tion in Kansas City. He lives in Lenexa. tor, Information Services Karen Roberts, 17, project leader, James McTaggart, c’07, works as a Gary Clark, 38, professor, Special Information Services surety analyst for AON in Chicago. Education Norman Saul, 39, professor, History Samuel Siegal, b’07, g’09, is a tax asso- R. Steve Dick, 27, photographer, Harry G. Shaffer, 53, professor, Eco- ciate for PricewaterhouseCoopers in University Relations nomics Chicago. David R. Downing, 28, professor, Stephen Shawl, 37, professor, Physics Aerospace Engineering and Astronomy MARRIED M. Ann Eversole, 35, assistant vice David Shulenburger, 34, former Melissa McGinley, s’07, to Matthew provost, Student Success provost and professor, Business Smilor, Feb. 21 in Kansas City. They live Annie Francis, 19, office specialist, Carol Smith, 20, senior program in Overland Park, where Melissa is assis- Information and Telecommunication manager, Continuing Education tant director of the Goddard School. Don Green, 45, distinguished profes- Patsy White, 42, program assistant, Matthew is assistant food and beverage sor, Chemical & Petroleum Engineering Bureau of Child Research manager for Tiffany Greens Golf Course. David Hann, 17, coordinator, Research Bob Zerwekh, 38, professor, and Graduate Studies Engineering Management 2008 Mary Hawkins, 39, librarian, Libraries Sourav Biswas, g’08, works as an application development leader with United Health Corp. in Overland Park. City, and Lindsay is a case manager at Center. Ryan works for Embarq. Matthew Lindberg, j’08, is sports edi- KVC Behavorial Healthcare in Lenexa. tor for the Montrose, Colo., Daily Press. Ryan Gordon, b’05, and Joah 2006 One of his articles was published earlier Buchanan, c’06, Dec. 20 in Lawrence. Adam Bundy, d’06, manages utility this year in the Denver Post. They live in Overland Park, where Joah services for Custom Lighting Services in Benjamin Martin, c’08, is a U.S. works at Overland Park Regional Medical Kansas City. Air Force pilot candidate. He lives in

58 | KANSAS ALUMNI Del Rio, Texas. Margaret Pugh, j’08, is an account executive for Public Strategies in Dallas. Kathryn Rohr, e’08, works as a form- work engineer for Ceco Construction in Overland Park. Samuel Stratton, j’08, is an audio engineer and stage technician at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth. Meghan Sullivan, c’08, j’08, coordi- nates advertising for Gragg Advertising in Kansas City. Laura Sutton, b’08, is a customer-service representative for Central National Bank in Lawrence. Jennifer McLeod Uhart, c’08, works as a compensation analyst for Newmont Mining Corp. in Englewood, Colo. She and her husband, Mathieu, ’96, live in Castle Rock. Ryan Wagner, b’08, is an analyst with Prairie Capital Management in Kansas City. Scott Webb, d’08, was inducted last year into the Union High School Athletic Hall of Fame in Tulsa, Okla., where he was an all-state kicker on the football team. He lives in Gilbert, Ariz.

BORN TO: Lindsey Koebel, n’08, and Andrew, daughter, Avery Paige, Dec. 15 in Olathe. Lindsey is a nurse at Children’s Mercy Hospitals and Clinics in Kansas City.

2009 Mara Ankerholz, ’09, is a marketing and pricing analyst for Selex Sistemi Inte- grati in Overland Park. She lives in Lawrence. Rajanikanth Polikepati, g’09, works as Texas online vertical lead for Bearing- Point in Austin.

MARRIED Erin Smith, g’09, to Brandon Steven- son, Oct. 25 in Kansas City, where Erin is a senior trade processor at State Street Corp.

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ISSUE 4, 2009 | 59 Betty Learned Burns, c’45, 85, March 6 in Littleton, Colo. She was the niece of In Memory Albert, e’1910, g’30, and Stanley Learned, e’24, g’36, for whom KU’s Learned Hall is named. Survivors include two daughters, three grandchildren and three great- 1930s March 12 in Kansas City, where she co- grandchildren. Jane Montzingo Berman, c’35, m’38, founded the Johnson County library sys- Oraine Carter, b’46, 85, March 17 in 94, Oct. 14 in Chestnut Hill, Mass. She tem. Survivors include two sons, James Kansas City, where he was retired execu- taught psychiatry at Harvard Medical Jr., c’63, and Gerald, e’71, g’72; two tive vice president of transportation at School. Two sons, three daughters, 11 daughters, Patricia May Farrar, n’68, and Farmland Industries. He is survived by grandchildren and a great-grandchild Sarah May Hempstead, ’65; nine grand- his wife, Juanita, two sons, a daughter, survive. children; and 10 great-grandchildren. six grandchildren and three great-grand- John Brookens, c’38, l’41, 92, March Evelynn Little McFarland, c’38, 93, children. 16 in Shawnee. He lived in Westmore- March 13 in Leawood. A son, Thomas, Robert Chesky, c’49, m’61, 80, Feb. land and was a retired district judge. He c’73, survives. 25 in Saline, Mich., where he was a is survived by two daughters, one of Florence Casey Rawlings, c’37, 93, retired pediatrician. Surviving are his whom is Mary Brookens Dettmer, n’68; a March 12 in Lenexa, where she was a wife, Nanette Nelson Chesky, c’53; two son, Robert, d’73; a sister; 11 grandchil- retired teacher. Survivors include her sons; three daughters; a brother, Edward dren; and six great-grandchildren. husband, Ace, c’39; two sons, Roy, e’67, Jr., c’49; and six grandchildren. Jane Roberts Dunsford, c’38, 92, Feb. and Roger, d’68; three grandchildren; Leora Adams DeFord, f’43, 87, May 2 24 in Dodge City. A son, a daughter, four and three great-grandchildren. in Sun City West, Ariz. Survivors include grandsons and five great-grandchildren Charles Spahr, e’34, 95, April 7 in her husband, Donald, c’40, g’47, PhD’48; survive. Shaker Heights, Ohio. He was former three brothers, Dwight, c’53, m’56, Sam Greenstein, b’38, 96, April 3 in chairman of Standard Oil, where he over- Roger, e’50, g’60, and Nolan, ’53; two Overland Park, where he manufactured saw Sohio’s Trans-Alaska pipeline. At children and four grandchildren. and sold children’s clothing. He is sur- KU, the Spahr Engineering Library and William Fisher, d’49, g’53, 82, Oct. 29 vived by his wife, Ida, a son, a daughter, a the Spahr Engineering Classroom in in Santa Ana, Calif., where he was a sister, five grandchildren and stepgrand- Eaton Hall are named for him. He was a retired high-school teacher and coach. children, and seven great-grandchildren recipient of KU’s Fred Ellsworth Medal- He is survived by his wife, Donna Holm and stepgreat-grandchildren. lion and the Distinguished Engineering Fisher, f’49; four sons, two of whom are Norman Jeter, l’37, 96, April 16 in Service Award. Survivors include his wife, John, c’75, l’78, and Mark, ’79; a daugh- Hays. He practiced law for more than 70 Mary Jane “Janie” Bruckmiller Spahr, ’38; ter; and three grandchildren. years and is survived by his wife, Ann four daughters; a son; 11 grandchildren; Janice “Garter” Gartrell, c’42, 88, Horton Jeter, ’37; a daughter, Margaret and three great-grandchildren. March 24 in Lenexa, where she was a Jeter Doan, c’65; three sons, Joseph, c’68, retired engineering analyst for Mobil Oil. l’71, William, l’75, and John, c’77, m’81; 1940s Frances Pauline “Polly” Wegscheider eight grandchildren; five stepgrandchil- Albert “Lee” Bergren, e’41, 93, May Girvin, c’47, 82, April 12 in Dayton, dren; five great-grandchildren; and nine 1 in Kansas City, where he co-founded Ohio. She is survived by four sons; a stepgreat-grandchildren. Radio Industries. His wife, Betty, sur- daughter; a brother, Charles Wegschei- Richard Kane, c’39, 91, April 20 in vives. der, b’54; 13 grandchildren; and three Bartlesville, Okla., where he practiced Joseph Bukaty Sr., c’47, 84, March 24 great-grandchildren. law. He is survived by two sons, Robert, in Overland Park, where he practiced John Glover, c’49, 85, March 21 in c’64, and Mark, c’75, l’78; two daughters, law. A memorial has been established Kansas City, where he was a retired sales Louise Kane Roark, d’65, and Ann Kane with the KU Endowment Association. He manager for Celotox Corp. He is survived Seidman, c’69; 11 grandchildren; and is survived by a son, Joseph Jr., e’80; a by his wife, Marie; two daughters; two eight great-grandchildren. daughter, Roseanne Bukaty Becker, c’79; stepsons; two sisters, Virginia Glover Rodney Loughmiller, b’39, 92, March a grandson; and a great-grandson. Kane, d’57, and Marilyn Glover Matthe- 10 in Topeka, where he was retired from Jeanne Brock Bunn, f’43, 87, March 27 sen, f’49; and seven grandchildren. Forbes Credit Union. He is survived in Prairie Village. She is survived by her Jay Gunnels Jr., b’44, 86, Feb. 27 in by his wife, Mildred, three daughters, husband, Stuart, e’42; two sons, James, Fairway, where he was a retired attorney eight grandchildren and 12 great-grand- e’68, and Steven, c’76; a daughter, Jen- and district judge. He is survived by his children. nifer Bunn Weddle, d’78; five grandchil- wife, Frances; a son, Mark, d’75; a daugh- Sarah “Sally” Hamilton May, c’35, 94, dren; and a great-grandson. ter, Janet, c’80; and a granddaughter.

60 | KANSAS ALUMNI Margaret Charles Cochran Hardacre, Robert Ramseyer, c’47, b’48, 84, vived by his wife, Janet, a daughter, a ’40, 90, Dec. 23 in Olathe. She is sur- March 3 in Prairie Village, where he brother, a sister and a granddaughter. vived by her husband, Forrest, d’38; worked for E.D. Etnyre & Co. and was a Suzanne Schwantes Coil, d’56, g’68, three sons; a daughter, Catherine Wilcox, former U.S. Navy commander. Surviving 74, in Eudora. She taught home econom- d’66; two stepsons; 12 grandchildren; are two sons, Robert Jr., b’74, and Roger, ics at Lawrence High School and later and 11 great-grandchildren. b’84; a daughter, Sally Ramseyer Beck, created the fashion merchandising Blair Helman, g’47, 88, March 22 in d’77; and seven grandchildren. program at Baker University. She is sur- North Manchester, Ind., where he was Betty van der Smissen c’49, l’52, 80, vived by her husband, William, assoc.; president emeritus of Manchester Col- Nov. 6 in Fayetteville, Ark. She worked a daughter, Millicent Coil Otto, ’85; lege. Two daughters, a brother, two sis- for many years as an attorney, professor two stepsons; a sister, Nancy, ’61; ters and five grandchildren survive. and author. An advocate of outdoor edu- eight grandchildren; and two great- William Hogle, b’41, 89, May 1 in cation, she was a founding member of grandchildren. Lawrence, where he was a retired agent the Association for Experiential Educa- Winifred Wilson DeYoung, c’50, 81, for State Farm Insurance. He is survived tion. Survivors include a niece, a nephew March 16 in Prairie Village, where she by his wife, Gertrude Toll Hogle, assoc.; and several great-nieces and -nephews. was a retired teacher. Surviving are two two sons, Bruce, e’70, g’72, and Gregory, Hanna Hedrick Stewart, j’46, 85, daughters, Kathleen DeYoung Svoboda, c’71, g’73; two daughters, Teresa Hogle April 7 in Plano, Texas. She is survived d’74, g’76, and Nancy DeYoung Lauer- Ronsse, d’73, and Susan Hogle Stahl, by three daughters, one of whom is man, c’79; a brother, Robert Wilson, c’77, h’82; and five grandchildren. Robin Stewart Fowler, j’71; four grand- b’48; and four grandchildren. Richard Hoover, e’45, g’48, 84, March daughters; and two great-grandsons. Danna Denning, b’54, g’66, 73, March 13 in Lawrence. He was a retired chemi- Doris Brewster Swift, c’45, 85, Feb. 5 in Lawrence. She is survived by two cal engineer. Survivors include two 24 in Tulsa, Okla. She is survived by two sons, one of whom is Edward Santee, daughters, Leslie, ’68, and Alicia Hoover daughters; a son; two sisters, Ina May ’79; a daughter, Susan Santee, ’10; a sis- Rieder, d’73; a son, Richard, e’71; a Brewster Fakhoury, c’56, and Nina Brew- ter; and seven grandchildren. brother, Isaac, e’50; a sister, Phyllis ster Grier, c’51; five grandchildren; and Velma Stoecker Dixon, d’52, 79, Hoover Rouch, ’49; six grandchildren; two great-grandchildren. March 11 in Topeka, where she taught and two great-grandchildren. Leland Weckbaugh, e’49, 84, May 2 in music and worked in real-estate sales. LeRoy Krug, b’48, 85, March 23 in Topeka, where he was former vice presi- She is survived by two sons, Brian, b’81, Ness City, where he was a retired banker. dent of Capital Iron Works. He is sur- and Jeffrey, b’84; two daughters, one of A daughter and a granddaughter survive. vived by his wife, Ethel; three sons, two whom is Marsha Dixon Monica, s’71; Marjorie Free Lichty, c’46, 84, April of whom are Gary, ’79, and Terry, ’78; a seven grandchildren; and two great- 22 in Hood River, Ore. She lived in sister; a brother; five grandchildren; and grandchildren. Kansas City for many years and was two great-grandchildren. James “Bob” Fevurly, c’50, g’54, involved in the real-estate business. A Margery Lewis Wigner, b’41, 88, Feb. EdD’77, 83, April 5 in Lawrence, memorial has been established with the 5 in Atwood. She is survived by her hus- where he lived. He taught chemistry and KU Endowment Association. She is sur- band, Harry, ’41; a daughter, Betsy biology at Leavenworth High School. vived by two sons, James, a’75, and Wigner Holste, ’74; a son, Harry Jr., c’77; Survivors include two sons, Keith, c’73, Thomas, j’81; and seven grandchildren. and two grandchildren. and Chris, c’76, m’79; five daughters, Harry Linn, c’40, 90, March 27 in Deborah Fevurly Winterscheidt, ’79, Rockwall, Texas, where he worked for 1950s Marcy Fevurly Bray, d’82, Carol Fevurly ARMCO Steel. Survivors include his wife, Eddie Bales, c’51, 81, March 2 in Mul- Cleek, n’90, Karen Fevurly Mitchell, ’93, Shirley Maupin Linn, ’42; a daughter, vane, where he owned Mulvane Phar- and Anna Fevurly Oliver, ’88; two sisters, Cheryl Linn Hewitt, g’81; two sons; and macy. He is survived by three daughters; Ruth Fevurly Jones, c’49, and Janet five grandchildren. three sons; a brother, Gerald, p’52; 12 Fevurly Weld, n’60; and 16 grand- Betty Banker Mathews, ’43, 87, March grandchildren; and a great-granddaugh- children. 30 in Chattanooga, Tenn. She is survived ter. Jack Francis, b’59, 72, Feb. 17 in Over- by a brother, Robert Banker, e’49; a Bob Bruce, j’57, 74, March 13 in Lub- land Park. He retired after a 37-year daughter; two granddaughters; and five bock, Texas. He lived in Abilene and was career with General Motors/EDS. He great-grandchildren. retired travel editor for the Abilene lived for many years in New Mexico, Mary Madge Kirby Nelson, c’42, 87, Record-News. Survivors include his wife, where as a Santa Fe National Forest Site March 3 in Mattoon, Ill. Among survivors Helen, and a son. Steward volunteer he led a project to are two sons, one of whom is Douglas, Jack Burton, b’56, 74, May 3 in record all the rock art in Petroglyph c’79; and two daughters, Marla Nelson Lenexa, where he was retired chief finan- National Monument. He is survived by Smith, j’75, and Mala Nelson Barnes, j’78. cial officer at Inland Industries. He is sur- his wife, Anne, four sons, a daughter, his

ISSUE 4, 2009 | 61 In Memory mother and stepfather, three sisters, a brother, Elmo, e’48, g’50; and two sis- and two grandchildren. nine grandchildren and five great-grand- ters, one of whom is Mary Maiden Red- Walter Clark, g’66, 81, March 20 in children. mond, ’50. Topeka. He lived in Tecumseh, where he David Gaumer, c’57, 73, March 27 in Harold “Hal” Malone, c’53, l’58, 90, was a banker and a farmer. Surviving are Lawrence, where he was a retired lawyer. May 5 in Wichita, where he was a retired his wife, Joan; two sons, one of whom is A memorial has been established with district court and probate judge. Surviv- Darwin, ’85; a brother; a sister; and three the KU Endowment Association. He is ing are his wife, Kasey; a son; a daughter, grandchildren. survived by his wife, Mary Rose, three Julie, c’91; two brothers, one of whom is Max Field, s’66, 74, March 20 in sons and seven grandchildren. Donald, c’54; and a sister, Nancy Malone Wichita, where he was retired Sedgwick Maryann Griffin Goodwin, d’52, 78, Schaefer, d’54. County Bureau director. He is survived by June 17, 2008, in Lompoc, Calif., where Frances Meng, d’56, 74, March 10 in his wife, Cassie, a daughter, a brother and she was a retired teacher. She is survived Gardner, where she was a retired teacher. four grandchildren. by her husband, Gale, d’52; two daugh- A brother survives. William Holm, g’67, 65, Feb. 26 in ters; and two grandsons. Verda Nye, f’52, 78, Jan. 31 in Roeland Sioux Falls, S.D. A poet and essayist in Charles “Greg” Irwin, e’59, 77, April Park. A son, Jonathan, ’96, survives. Minneota, Minn., and a frequent guest on 1 in Kansas City, where he was a retired Robert Roth, b’54, 76, March 25 in “A Prairie Home Companion,” he taught engineering manager with AT&T. He is Lawrence, where he had owned Roth for 27 years at Southwest Minnesota State survived by his wife, Sharon, two daugh- Equipment. Surviving are his wife, Ros- University, published eight books and ters, a son, eight grandchildren and two alee Osborne Roth, c’54; a son; a daugh- was a 2008 McKnight Distinguished great-grandchildren. ter, Elizabeth Roth Best, ’80; and five Artist. He is survived by his wife, Marcy Kevin Jones, PhD’57, 85, March 20 in grandchildren. Brekken. Groton, Conn. He taught petroleum engi- Charles Sutton, c’59, 77, Feb. 14 in Norman Mailen, b’61, 70, March 17 in neering at KU from 1957 to 1966 and North Port, Fla. He is survived by his Ellijay, Ga., where he was retired vice pres- coached men’s volleyball in the late wife, Carol, two daughters, a stepson, ident of Miracle Recreation. He is survived 1950s. He is survived by his wife, JoAnn two brothers and eight grandchildren. by his wife, Judy, two daughters and a “Pete” Jones; a daughter, Marcia Jones Harold Taylor, PhD’55, 88, Jan. 6 in son. Dysart, c’70, d’73, g’79; three sons, one Indianapolis, where he was retired from Thomas McCready, d’65, 65, March 6 of whom is Whitney, c’83; and five Merrell Dow Research Institute. He is in Kansas City, where he was a retired grandchildren. survived by his wife, Jane, a sister, three pharmaceutical salesman for Glaxo- Donald Landauer, e’56, 73, March 16 brothers and a granddaughter. SmithKline. A memorial has been estab- in Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., where he Neil Thompson, b’52, 80, April 8 in lished with the KU Endowment was a retired engineer. A memorial has Littleton, Colo. He is survived by his Association. He is survived by his wife, been established with the KU Endow- wife, Shirley McKnight Thompson, d’51; Frankie; a son, Matthew, f’98, g’06; a ment Association. He is survived by his a son, Jay, ’82; a daughter; a sister; and daughter, Jeanne McCready Mitchell, f’96; wife, Mae Chetlain Landauer, c’58; two two granddaughters. and two grandsons. daughters; a son; a brother; a sister; and Lois Timken, f’50, 84, Jan. 7 in Dodge John Miller, c’60, 75, March 22. He two grandchildren. City. She lived in Cimarron, where she lived in Roeland Park, where he was Jean Legler, c’55, m’59, 75, March 22 was a retired teacher. Survivors include retired from Business Men’s Assurance. in Topeka, where he practiced medicine. two brothers, one of whom is Frank, He is survived by his wife, Julie Purcell He is survived by his wife, Jean Ann; five d’52, g’64. Miller, c’58; two sons, Hank, c’82, and daughters; a brother, Warren, c’52, James Trombold, c’58, g’62, 72, April Thomas, a’87; a brother; and two grand- PhD’69; and three grandsons. 16 in Seattle, where he practiced internal children. Eddie Maag, a’54, 79, March 26 in medicine and cardiology for more than George Tiller, c’63, m’67, 67, May 31 in Prairie Village, where he was a retired 30 years. He is survived by his wife, Mary Wichita, where he operated the Women’s U.S. Marine. A memorial has been estab- Ann McGrew Trombold, n’58; two sons, Health Care Services clinic. He had been a lished with the KU Endowment Associa- one of whom is Kevin, ’86; a brother, U.S. Navy flight surgeon and was medical tion. He is survived by a son; two John, c’55, m’58; and five grandchildren. director of the Women’s Alcoholism Treat- daughters, one of whom is Sally Maag ment Services for the Sedgwick County Neal, b’80, g’87; a sister; six grandchil- 1960s Health Department. Survivors include his dren; and a great-grandson. Richard Babcock, b’68, 65, Feb. 23 in wife, Jeanne, assoc.; three daughters, Clinton Maiden, e’54, 86, Jan. 13 in Norwalk, Conn. He was an accountant Rebecca Tiller Bunting, b’91, Krista Tiller Canoga Park, Calif., where he was retired for Pepsi. He is survived by his partner, Shackelford, c’98, m’02, and Jennifer from Hughes Aircraft and TRW. Sur- David Nelson; a daughter, Lisa Babcock Tiller-Burgoyne, c’90; a son, Maurice, c’93; vivors include three daughters; two sons; Bushouse, d’90; his father; two brothers; a sister; and 10 grandchildren.

62 | KANSAS ALUMNI 1970s Xavier Williams, e’70, g’72, 61, Nov. emeritus of English at KU. He is survived Alan Cunningham, g’77, 72, April 28 17 in Miami, where he owned an import/ by his wife, Virginia Busse Edwards, in Overland Park. He taught philosophy export business and invested in real assoc.; and a sister. for 26 years at Johnson County Commu- estate. He is survived by his wife, Michele Robert Frederick, d’62, g’64, EdD’84, nity College and is survived by two Raymond Williams, d’71; and two sons. 69, June 12 in Kansas City. As athletics daughters, a son, two brothers and three director at KU from 1987 to 2001, he grandchildren. 1980s developed a comprehensive personal Douglas Drake, m’71, 65, Dec. 20 in Madeleine Louise Clark, n’81, 65, support program for student-athletes Salina. He lived in Beloit, where he prac- March 16 in Kansas City, where she and hired head coaches in eight Olympic ticed at the Primary Care Clinic. Surviv- was a nurse at the KU Medical Center. sports. He saw KU’s teams go to two ing are his wife, Betty, two sons, three She is survived by her husband, Russell, Aloha Bowl Championships; three men’s daughters, a brother, eight grandchildren two sons, two daughters and eight basketball Final Fours, including a and three great-grandchildren. grandchildren. national championship in 1988; a Col- Diana Faye Woo Liu, s’73, 74, March Christine Rouse, g’83, 50, Oct. 30 in lege Baseball World Series; and a College 31 in Modesto, Calif., where she was Winston-Salem, N.C., where she was a Women’s Softball World Series. He had retired from a 23-year career with the master chemist at R.J. Reynolds Tobacco. also served as assistant athletics director, Stanislaus County Department of Social An aunt and her godmother survive. executive director of the Williams Educa- Services. She is survived by her husband, tional Fund, head coach of the men’s golf Edwin, ’73; a daughter; a sister; and a 1990s team, and on the men’s basketball coach- brother. Marc Conklin, l’91, 44, March 25 in ing staffs of Dick Harp and Ted Owens. Lowell Mattingly, j’71, 60, March 11 in Kansas City, where he had been general Since 2001 he was an assistant professor Wichita, where he was a retired U.S. Air counsel for the Kansas City Board of in sports management. Survivors include Force major. He is survived by a daugh- Public Utilities. He is survived by his his wife, Margey, j’69, g’78; four sons, ter, a son, his mother, a brother and wife, Jill; two sons; his parents; and a sis- three of whom are Brian, ’97, Mark, ’05, seven sisters. ter, Lorianne Conklin Hanson, c’93. and Christopher, ’09; a grandson; and a Shiu Shankar, PhD’74, 74, April 3 Jori Weisenberg Gniadek, c’91, 39, sister, Susan Frederick Schrepel, d’58. in Herndon, Va., where he was a retired Nov. 29 in Grayslake, Ill., where she Wallace May, g’70, PhD’78, 80, April 7 teacher. Among survivors are two sons, was a school teacher. She is survived in Lawrence, where he was retired dean five sisters, a brother and six grand- by two sons, her parents and a brother, of continuing education at KU. He is sur- children. Scott, c’93. vived by five sons, four of whom are Charles Steinbacher Jr., e’71, 70, April David, c’78, Douglas, c’81, James, j’86, 14 in Lawrence, where he was a retired 2000s and Dustin, ’99; a daughter, Christine engineer with Evans, Bierly, Hutchison Daniel Lanier, ’11, 29, April 5 in May Blanchard, c’02, s’07; and two and Associates. A memorial has been Lawrence. He is survived by his mother, sisters. established with the KU Endowment his father and stepmother, three brothers Charles Stevenson, m’44, 90, April Association. He is survived by a daugh- and his grandmother. 21 in Lenexa, where he was a retired ter, Katherin, e’94; a son, Matthew, ’99; June Mueller Mecham, PhD’04, 35, physician. He taught anesthesiology at two brothers, one of whom is James, March 1 in Omaha, where she was a pro- the KU Medical Center until 1980. Sur- e’74; four sisters; two stepgranddaugh- fessor of medieval history at the Univer- viving are his wife, Charlotte Stafford ters; and a stepgreat-granddaughter. sity of Minnesota. Among survivors are Stevenson, c’39, c’40; three daughters, Constance Hackett Volk, g’76, 85, her husband, Gary, a daughter, her Mary Anne Stevenson Demeritt, d’68, April 14 in Overland Park, where she was mother, and her grandmother. g’82, Carol, j’69, and Jean, c’72, m’76; a retired teacher. She is survived by her Shawndra Beauchamp Turner, n’01, a son; seven grandchildren; and two husband, Hank; four sons, two of whom 32, March 15 in Overland Park. She was great-grandchildren. are Dietrich, b’76, and Richard, ’79; two a nurse practitioner in the ENT clinic at Richard Treece, c’41, 90, March 12 daughters, Elizabeth, c’79, m’84, and Vir- Children’s Mercy Hospital. Survivors in Lawrence, where he was a conference ginia, c’81; three sisters; and 12 grand- include her husband, Doug; a daughter; coordinator at KU and had officiated children. her parents, Gary, c’66, m’70, and Car- at the KU Relays for more than 50 Stephen Walker, h’78, 60, Sept. 4 in olyn Beauchamp, c’72; a sister; and her years. He is survived by his wife, Mary Cameron, Mo., where he was a certified grandmother. Lindsey Treece, d’70, g’74; two daugh- registered nurse anesthetist. He is sur- ters, Joan, d’72, and Virginia Treece vived by his wife, Susan, two daughters, a The University Community Crane, d’68; four grandchildren; and stepson, a sister, two brothers and six Carroll Edwards, 99, April 8 in a great-grandson. grandchildren. Lawrence, where he was a professor

ISSUE 4, 2009 | 63 Rock Chalk Review

If your last move is still fresh in your memory, you know

STEVE PUPPE what Ekerdt means when he says thinning your possessions is about more than simply fill- ing a few trash bags and making a trip to Goodwill. “Downsizing and declutter- ■ Professor David ing are hard, because it’s noth- Ekerdt, with help from ing less than an encounter with graduate student ourselves,” he says. “Our stuff Gabriella Smith, left, and represents who we are and Aislinn Addington, g’09, who we were and who we’re is leading a three-year going to be.” study that examines Ekerdt, professor of sociol- how people 65 and older ogy and director of KU’s manage the move to Gerontology Center, is con- smaller quarters. ducting a study with colleagues at Wayne State University in Detroit that examines how people 65 and older deal with their personal posses- The things we keep sions when they move to smaller quarters. He What you have says a lot hopes the three-year Household Moves Project, underwritten by the National Institute on Aging, about who you are help researchers understand how people manage mericans have a love-hate relationship this transition. with stuff. We fret about overconsump- The stakes are potentially high. tion while buying $7 billion of clutter “If people can’t downsize their possessions, it reduction goods and services in a year— may be an obstacle to their living in more appro- Aturning even anti-consumerism into a consumer priate housing, where they can live more inde- product. For every treasure we can’t dream of pendently and more comfortably and manage parting with, we count several things we wonder better,” Ekerdt says. “The premise of our study why we keep. is that many older people are holding on to a Yet keep we do: In the past 35 years, the larger volume of belongings than they need or average American home grew from can manage.” 1,500 square feet to 2,400, even Thinning out is hard work. Aside from the though family size did not increase. physical labor of sorting and packing up a house- The self-storage industry has boomed, ful of possessions, there is the cognitive work of offering nearly 2 billion square feet deciding what to keep and what to do with of space to hold the oceans of stuff the stuff that doesn’t get kept. Disbursing that overflow our bigger homes. the possessions—selling, donating, giving or So why is stuff so hard to get throwing away—is work, too. rid of? Many people don’t realize, Ekerdt says, The answer, says sociologist that each thing we bring into our houses David Ekerdt, is that the things we comes with its own little packet of labor. keep—those personal possessions we “The things we keep are hold onto for years and years—are far from inert lumps of fundamental to our sense of self. matter. What’s kept

64 | KANSAS ALUMNI must be placed and stored and main- OREAD READER chaos of war, I wanted to tell the story of tained and arranged and insured and Vicksburg, as much as possible, through emotionally invested in and even ani- Home front the eyes of children who were there.” mated, in the sense that we attribute to That she does, with a sure narrative our things an inner life that we have to A Civil War history for— hand that keeps the story surging ahead act toward with respect.” and about—the young while juggling multiple points of view Lecturing at the College of Liberal that chronicle both sides of the conflict. Arts and Sciences’ Mini College in June, he siege of Vicksburg, Miss., in Most compelling are human moments Ekerdt drove this point home by show- 1863 pitted Union troops led by between Union and Confederate troops. ing his listeners an IKEA commercial that Gen. Ulysses Grant against Gen. Frontline trenches are so close that pokes fun at our tendency to bestow John Pemberton’s Confederate opposing soldiers mingle, talking and emotion on objects. The ad drew laughs, Tdefenders; the 47-day battle that led to trading Northern coffee and Southern and proved another of his points: Many the fall of the city and finally opened the tobacco. An exhausted soldier shares his of us feel sheepish about our materialism entire length of the Mississippi River to blanket with an injured foe; waking the and tell embarrassing stories on our- Union control is remembered as a turn- next morning to find his companion selves when given the chance. Even ing point in the Civil War. dead, he ignores his own injury to fulfill Ekerdt himself. Not as readily remembered is that his promise to write the man’s kin, He shared an inventory of his bedside among the 5,000 townspeople caught in informing them of his death. After the table, which encompassed more than 60 the crossfire between these two armies Confederate surrender, Yankees applaud categories of items, including 20 books, a were an estimated 1,000 children. the Rebels’ bravery and share rations pair of shoehorns, his father’s World In Under Siege: Three Children at the with the starving men. War II medals and coin collection, and a Civil War Battle for Vicksburg, Andrea Such small moments of grace only package of swizzle sticks. The mix of pre- Warren retells the story of the epic battle highlight the hardships endured by sol- cious keepsakes and utilitarian items from the perspective of three children diers and civilians alike. While official hints at why it’s so hard to downsize. who witnessed it: Lucy McRae, the 10- records list a dozen civilian deaths and “I keep the books because I someday year-old daughter of a well-to-do Vicks- 50 casualties, Warren reports, the true want to be the smart person who has burg businessman; Willie Lord, the toll was higher. The once thriving, gra- read all those books,” he says. “I keep the 11-year-old son of a prominent minister; cious city, the second largest in Missis- coins and medals because they are a con- and Frederick Grant, the 12-year-old son sippi, never regained its stately bearing, nection to my father. I keep the shoe- of Gen. Grant. and many townspeople, health weakened horns because they are useful.” Drawing on journals and biographies, by their time in the caves and by expo- In fact, Ekerdt has identified nine dif- and supplementing her text with period sure to the caustic shell powder, died ferent “possession motives” that explain photographs and maps, Warren, g’83, prematurely after the war. our reasons for keeping things. But he fashions a history for young readers The story of the Vicksburg campaign says these could be condensed into two that’s unstinting in its description of the is well known. By retelling it simply, categories: We keep things because they terror felt by civilians who fled their through the experience of three children, are useful and because they are symbols. homes and sheltered in crude caves dug Under Siege creates a fresh, original “They symbolize me, my past, my future, in hillsides to escape the constant bar- accounting of the harsh human costs of a my family, my friends and my ancestors. rage of Union gunboats. Nor does she bygone battle. It was just one clash, albeit They tell the story of who I am to the omit the grisly details of the violence a pivotal one, in a war fought on the farm world.” troops visited on each other. fields and town squares of the American If possessions are fundamental to our Though certain details may be identity, then downsizing is about more too intense for some children, the than just making a clean sweep—it’s a violence is never gratuitous. “I threat too our sense of self. No wonder have always had a special interest ■ Under Siege: Three it’s so hard to do. in the stories of children in war Children at the Civil War —Steven Hill because my adopted daughter was Battle for Vicksburg The Household Moves Project is recruit- orphaned by the Vietnam War,” ing volunteers in the Lawrence, Kansas City writes Warren, whose previous by Andrea Warren or Detroit areas who are at least 65 years book, Escape From Saigon: How a Farrar, Straus and old and have moved in the past year or Vietnam War Orphan Became an Giroux, $17.95 are thinking of moving soon. For more American Boy, was a Booklist Edi- information, contact the project office at tors’ Choice. “In tribute to her and 785-864-0665. to all children caught up in the

ISSUE 4, 2009 | 65 Rock Chalk Review people. What was true of Vicksburg, As fans have also come to expect, Warren’s tale reminds us, was true for an some of the Gold Mine’s entries are sim- entire nation at war. ply too dense for all but the most STEVE PUPPE —Steven Hill devoted sabermetricians to digest. Yet always there is James’ light touch, which never allows analysis to droop into boor- OREAD READER ish argument. A founding principle in 1977 abides throughout this latest offering: Numbers are worth the effort only Another hit when they help tell a good baseball story. for Bill James —Chris Lazzarino hen he released his first self-published baseball ◆ ◆ ◆ abstract, in 1977, Bill James set himself apart as Wa deep thinker eager to mine baseball’s Contemporary cool statistical motherlode for trends and Architect returns to find ■ Still cool after all these years: Hess’ 1950s truths. His revolution was not greeted Lawrence designs remain outstanding examples gladly: Our national pastime, always the new generation of enthusiasts of mid-century modern architecture. turf of self-important sportswriters and for ‘mid-century modern’ style pallid urban poets, had been reduced to mere numbers. Or so charged his critics. rchitect Robert Hess has ples of the type. The house built in 1952 More than 30 years later, James, c’73, designed expensive homes for for the Litwin family would look at home d’75, is the senior adviser on baseball clients in a host of wealthy Los in a Frank Lloyd Wright coffee table operations for the Boston Red Sox, and Angeles enclaves. But he says book. Others were creative works of his statistical analyses framed the game someA of his best work was done on a opportunity. for a generation of dynamic young execu- limited budget, in Lawrence, including For Richard and Barbara Nelson, Hess tives. His output never wavered, though jobs completed while a KU architecture converted a Civil War-era stone barn on publication formats certainly did, and it student. Orchard Lane into an exemplar of seemed every new season was greeted by Hess, 83, calls it his “Lawrence ground-hugging modernism. When he yet another Bill James baseball bible. Period.” first saw it, Hess says, there was hay This year is no different, with ACTA During this time, from 1949 to 1955, piled in what is now the living room, Sports’ release of The Bill James Gold Hess, a’49, designed about 25 buildings manure on the stone walls, and a skunk Mine 2009, a rich collection of essays in Lawrence, many of them custom resi- under what is now the kitchen. (many of which were first written for bill- dences for KU professors. His clients But demand for his work soon jamesonline.com); scores of delightful included names still familiar on campus: softened. data “nuggets” on particular players and Hal Barrett; Frank Burge; J. Eldon Fields, Despite a housing boom in Lawrence game situations; and the deep, team-by- c’34; E.L. Jordan, g’52, PhD’64; Paul after the war, Hess struggled to land team analysis that Bill James fans have Hausman; Richard Howey; Edna Hill; commissions and was living hand-to- come to expect. and many others. mouth. Finally, on the day after Christ- While some Hess houses were mas, 1955, he headed off to L.A. in his moved or torn down, enough maroon 1950 Studebaker Starlight remain—some barely touched by Coupe. renovation or add-ons—that they “Nobody wanted contemporary archi- ■ The Bill James could almost be considered tecture in Lawrence those days,” Hess Gold Mine 2009 collectibles, if houses were col- says. “Those who could afford it wanted lectible. Nearly all are recogniza- traditional.” By Bill James ble as examples of what is How times have changed. Two years ACTA Sports, commonly referred to today as ago, Hess, retired and living in Santa Bar- $23.95 the “mid-century modern” style bara, got a call from a new owner of one of architecture, or more vulgarly, of his houses in Lawrence. The owner “ranch.” was able to track him down because Some are outstanding exam- Hess continues to renew his Kansas

66 | KANSAS ALUMNI architect’s license. director of the Lied Center. of us were guessing in a certain direc- One thing led to another, and in May With a grant from the Doris Duke tion—it was very challenging, but I loved Hess returned for a reception in his Charitable Foundation in spring 2007, the result.” honor given by Lawrence Modern, a the Lied Center, the Hall Center for the To accompany “Tree of Life,” various group of mid-century modern enthusi- Humanities, The Commons, University departments helped organize exhibits asts. The event was co-sponsored by the Dance Company, University Theatre, and lectures that focused on issues Spencer Research Library, to which Hess Kansas Space Grant Consortium, the within evolution, including “Future Life has agreed to donate his architectural Center for Science Education and the Forms,” led by members of the physics drawings and other papers spanning departments of music and dance and and theatre and film departments who more than 170 properties. theatre and film formed Creative Cam- discussed the ability of humans to KU architectural historian Dennis pus. The groups sought to create a evolve, and “Trees and Other Ramifica- Domer, g’69, PhD’80, is thrilled by what unique stage production using one tions: Branches in Nature and Culture,” Hess has done. another’s viewpoints as “We don’t have enough of this kind of catalysts for creativity. material in our collection,” Domer says. “Sometimes scien-

“No serious architectural history of tists don’t know what’s LUKE JORDAN Lawrence or Kansas is possible without happening in the arts such largess. I really hope more archi- community, and they tects would do what Bob has done might not even know because it is extremely significant to the what’s happening on University.” another floor in their —William Steele works in KU’s Office of building,” Christilles Professional Military Graduate Education. says. “If everyone knows each other, things are going to ◆ ◆ ◆ happen.” In spring 2008, Cre- ative Campus staged Collaboration discussions at depart- ■ The University Dance Company was among the many arts, ments across campus, humanities and science groups on campus that collaborated on fertilizes and eventually, after a “Tree of Life,” a stage production with affiliated lectures and exhibi- symposium led by tions that explored evolution. ‘Tree of Life’ Leonard Krishtalka, professor of evolution- Sciences and arts meld ideas ary biology and ecology and director of an exhibition at Spencer Museum of Art to produce unique concert the Biodiversity Institute, the group that showed the importance of trees in decided to explore evolution in its pro- human life and nature. eside a virtual backdrop of arbo- duction and create “Tree of Life.” From Creative Campus, additional real images, primal-esque “Seeing all of the different approaches relationships have launched among dis- dancers twirled to the beat of to a phenomenon like evolution broad- parate KU departments. John Hoopes, Turtle Island String Quartet ens the creative activity,” Krishtalka says. professor of anthropology, worked with whileB actors discussed science and cul- With the background research already Carol Ann Carter, professor of art, to ture. More than 300 students and faculty gained from discussions, faculty and stu- evaluate one art student’s creative across campus collaborated to develop dents from the departments of music process. and produce “Tree of Life—Origins and and dance and theatre and film joined “It’s kind of human nature to hang out Evolution,” April 24-25, the culmination the KU Wind Ensemble to form three with people who we understand, but life of KU’s two-year-long Creative Campus acts with unique choreography, virtual in 2009 is super connected and more project. reality, costumes and text for a play. and more, you need to have wide range “If you think about the Renaissance, David Balakrishnan, violinist and of thought to handle what’s out there,” innovations in science were talked about founder of Turtle Island String Quartet, Balakrishnan says. “I think it was really with innovations in painting and poetry composed original music for his group helpful, at its core, to demonstrate on the and music, and that inspired dialogue and the KU Wind Ensemble to play as professional level how a project like this between the two which sparked creativ- the soundtrack to “Tree of Life.” could happen.” ity,” says Karen Christilles, associate “It was huge,” Balakrishnan says. “All –Erika Bentson

ISSUE 4, 2009 | 67 Glorious to View

■ Nature and art temporarily coalesce on the front lawn of Spooner Hall. The Spencer Museum of Art, in collaboration with The Commons, commissioned North Carolina-based artist Patrick Dougherty to create the sapling sculpture around the dying elm. With the help of students, alumni, faculty and community members, Dougherty worked throughout May to complete the sculpture. One of 200 such structures worldwide, the piece features 6,000 pounds of saplings cut from dense stands of silver maples near Clinton Lake. It is expected to grace the corner for 18 to 24 months, depending on the rate of deterioration.

Photographs by Valerie Spicher

68 | KANSAS ALUMNI

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